- The International Day of Sport for Development and Peace (IDSDP) is an annual celebration of the power of sport to drive social change, community development and to foster peace and understanding.
- The International Day of Sport for Development and Peace celebrated every year on 6th April presents an opportunity to recognize the role that sport and physical activity plays in communities and in people’s lives across the world.
- On 23 August 2013, the United Nations General Assembly in Resolution 67/296 decided to proclaim on 6 April as the “International Day of the Sport for the Development and the Peace”. This date also marks the opening of the first modern Olympic Games in Athens in 1896.
- UNESCO is the United Nations’ lead agency for Physical Education and Sport (PES). UNESCO believes that sport is a powerful vehicle for social inclusion, gender equality and youth empowerment, with benefits that are felt far beyond the stadiums.
- Sport has historically played an important role in all societies, be it in the form of competitive sport, physical activity or play. Sport and play are human rights that must be respected and enforced worldwide.
- Sport has been increasingly recognized and used as a low-cost and high-impact tool in humanitarian, development and peace-building efforts, not only by the UN system but also by non-governmental organizations (NGOs), governments, development agencies, sports federations, armed forces and the media.
- Sport can no longer be considered a luxury within any society but is rather an important investment in the present and future, particularly in developing countries.
- The General Assembly also recognizes the role that the International Paralympic Committee plays in showcasing the achievements of athletes with an impairment to a global audience and in acting as a primary vehicle to change societal perceptions of disability sport.
- The 2021 International Day of Sport for Development and Peace messaging aims to:
- – Reaffirm the place of sport in the recovery from the pandemic and beyond
- – Foster equity, solidarity, community and team spirit in response to the pandemic
- – Encourage healthy habits through physical activity and building emotional wellbeing
- – and inspire hope through sporting analogies.
- The International Day of Sport for Development and Peace 2021 is an opportunity for individuals to recognise the role of sports in communities, individuals lives, building resilience and in recovery from the global pandemic.
- Since the novel coronavirus has impacted the entire world there will be no celebration in physical form, but people who are enthusiastic about sports and believe in the spirit of the day can mark the day by participating in online events.
- The Department of Global Communications, in collaboration with the World Health organisation, DESA and the co-chairs of the Group of Friends of Sport for Sustainable Development in New York, Qatar and Monaco have decided to keep this year’s theme around, recovery from the pandemic, the importance of equity in that recovery, and what is necessary to build back better for a more resilient and equitable world.
