IOC reaffirms: Sport must unite the world in peaceful competition

19 September 2025 – In a world shaken by conflict and division, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Executive Board (EB) stands firm in its belief that sport must remain a beacon of hope — a force that brings the whole world together in peaceful competition. This is at the very heart of the Olympic Movement and derives from the Fundamental Principles of Olympism.

Unfortunately, there are many wars and conflicts affecting millions of innocent people in this world. Every victim of a war is one too many. The IOC deeply believes that differences between nations must be resolved through dialogue, not violence.

The IOC is concerned by the disruption of competitions across the world, the restriction of access to host countries for athletes, and the boycotting and cancellation of competitions due to political tensions. These actions deprive athletes of their right to compete peacefully and prevent the Olympic Movement from showing the power of sport.

The Olympic Charter recognises “that sport occurs within the framework of society”, and that “sports organisations within the Olympic Movement shall apply political neutrality.” Furthermore, the United Nations (UN) has through General Assembly Resolutions repeatedly reaffirmed the autonomy of sport and the neutrality of the IOC. These Resolutions are more than symbolic — they are a call to protect the sacred space of sport from the world’s divisions.

Sport’s ability to unite was undeniably demonstrated at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, where athletes from the territories of all 206 National Olympic Committees (NOCs) and the Refugee Olympic Team lived harmoniously in the Olympic Village and competed peacefully on the field of play. In this spirit, the IOC EB is committed to finding a pathway for every NOC to participate with their athletes in the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games.

As part of the IOC’s “Fit for the Future” process, the IOC EB decided today to set up a Working Group on the Protection of the Fundamental Principles of Olympism. This is aimed at ensuring that the IOC, the Olympic Games and sport remain politically neutral and can uphold their mission to unite the world in peaceful competition. Athletes have an incredible opportunity to showcase the Olympic values and play the role of peace ambassadors in line with the Fundamental Principles of Olympism.