BUILDING A SUSTAINABLE WORLD THROUGH SPORT

The Coalition for Sustainable Development Through Sport, was launched under the leadership of Public Development Banks (PDBs) in November 2020 in close collaboration with a selection of partner organisations.

Coalition members pledge to strengthen their financial resources, investments and expertise to build a sustainable world together, in line with the SDGs.

The Coalition’s ambition is to expand over time by bringing in more PDBs and by fostering partnerships with other stakeholders and coalitions that share its vision, and are willing to contribute their diverse resources and abilities, including from the private sector, civil society, governments and academia.

Who was involved?

PDBs: Agence Française de Dévelop­pement, Latin American Association of Development Financing Institutions, BANCOLDEX, West African Development Bank, Development Bank of Rwanda, Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean, Cassa Depositi e Prestiti, Caisse des Dépôts et Consig­nations, Caisse de Dépôt et de Gestion, Development Bank of Southern Africa, Istituto per il Credito Sportivo, Japan International Cooperation Agency, Association of National Development Finance Institutions in Member Coun­tries of the Islamic Development Bank.

Supporting partners: The IPC, IOC, Paris 2024, Dakar 2026.

Advisory members: Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), UNESCO, Yunus Sports Hub, European Network of Academic Sport Services (ENAS), Laureus, Finance in Common.

What was done?

The Coalition has four main commitments:

• Get along with a common vision and principles on the economic, social, and environmental power of sport
• Intensify the positive human, social, economic and environmental for more co-operation in sport for development
• Support projects that make sport a tool for human and sustainable development on national and regional levels
• Create a positive economic, social and environmental legacy and contribute to peace and solidarity, in particular through major international sport events.

Global conferences and events, such as the Finance in Common Summit and the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games are leveraged to recognise the potential of sport within the development context, and to increase investment in sport and physical activity opportunities.

To operationalise its vision, the Coalition has set up three dedicated task forces focused on:

• Promoting sport for development in the global agenda
• Structuring innovative investment vehicles in the sector
• Strengthening research and building a shared understanding of sport for development

What made it special?

The Coalition brings PDBs together with multilateral organisations and sport leaders. The focus is on how physical activity, physical education, and sport are powerful levers for sustainable development, and transformation of society by, for and with the youth and specifically marginalised groups

The IPC’s involvement as a supporting partner is to apply a disability lens to the work of the Coalition, including ensuring that any investment vehicles created support advancing sport participation opportunities for persons with disabilities, and that development and research aims also consider disability.

What changed?

The Coalition contributed to the first Sports Summit for Sustainable Development, held on the eve of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. This event resulted in 10 commitments being made to accelerate the contribution of sport to the SDGs. Commitments included “investing in accessible school sport facilities and physical education teachers in school by integrating physical activity into the curriculum,” and “expanding the number of accessible and inclusive sports facilities and programmes for persons with disabilities to facilitate physical activity and sport, for everyone and especially in sport clubs.”

What was learned?

Unfortunately, even in development contexts (such as global conferences) disability considerations are often absent and not represented. The IPC’s involvement in the Coalition, in the context of sport for development, has allowed for wider audiences to be exposed to the benefits and opportunities that come from disability inclusion and advancing opportunities for Para sport.