Sport and the sustainable development goals!

 The United Nations have long recognized, advocated for and supported the important contribu-tions of sport to development and peace, with a significant record of General Assembly and Human Rights Council resolutions, UN treaties, Secretary-General’s reports and other guiding documents highlighting the unique potential of sport.The processes and milestones which led to the historic adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2015 were followed by the Sport for Development and Peace community with strong interest and a commitment to continue using sport as a unique tool to support this new global plan of action. As a result of joint efforts, particularly including UN Member States’ support to recognize the contribution of sport to the SDGs, Heads of State and Government and High Representatives declared in the Political Declaration for the new Agenda: This unprecedented recognition offers a compelling incentive and an unmissable opportunity for further joint efforts and action in the field Sport for Development and Peace. With the aspiration of leaving no one behind and maximizing the contribution of sport for a better and peaceful world, sport will continue advancing development as a powerful enabler of the SDGs, as it did for the preceding MDGs. Sport’s potential should therefore be revisited in view of the new framework for sustainable development in order to promote synergy, coherence and harmonization of programmes for the implementation of the SDGs. Overall, the global reach and appeal of sport is an extraordinary tool at our disposal for promoting a global outlook on sport at the service of advancing the achievement the SDGs. The contributions of sport to the SDGs outlined in this overview reflect the expertise, experiences and welcome input of various SDP players, including UN entities and sport and development organi-zations, which have used sport and recognized its value as a flexible tool for enabling development and peace outcomes. Drawing from that experience, this overview addresses sport’s role and potential in relation to all 17 SDGs, being mindful of the importance of each goal. While doing so, it however discerns between the SDGs where greater evidence and practice with regard to the contributions of sport were identi-fied – marked with the SDG wheel symbol - and those SDGs where sport has a more limited or indirect potential.Ultimately, the present overview aims at informing, inspiring, encouraging and supporting sport’s contributions to the SDGs by relevant stakeholders including States, entities of the United Nations system, sport-related organizations, sport federations and associations, foundations, non-govern-mental organizations, athletes, the media, civil society, academia and the private sector.

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https://www.un.org/sport/sites/www.un.org.sport/files/ckfiles/files/Sport_for_SDGs_finalversion9.pdf