The UN emphasized the role of sports in strengthening equality and peace

April 1, 2026 Goals in the field of sustainable development

International Day of Sport for Development and Peace, celebrated annually on April 6, provides an opportunity to demonstrate the important role of sport and physical activity in people’s lives around the world. In 2026, on this day, the UN will pay special attention to how sport “helps to build bridges and overcome barriers.”

Remove barriers

In recent years, more and more people around the world have become interested in women’s sports competitions. In 2023, approximately one billion people watched the FIFA Women’s World Cup football matches.

Sport was recognized as a tool for expanding women’s rights and opportunities already on the Beijing Platform for Action in 1995, and this was again confirmed in the final conclusions of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) in 2025.

At the same time, some groups still face barriers and discrimination – in particular, women from the LGBTIQ+ community, women who wear hijabs, women with disabilities, as well as representatives of marginalized ethnic and racial groups.

Sports potential

The head of the “UN Women” structure, Sima Bahous, emphasized that “sport remains one of the most universal languages of humanity — a space where one can restore a sense of dignity, form a sense of belonging, and present new opportunities.”

She noted that in recent years convincing evidence of the sport’s transformational potential has emerged. “The Olympic Games in Paris in 2024 became the first in history with gender parity. AtWinter Olympic Games 2026 in Milan and Cortina d’AmpezzoThe share of women athletes was 47 percent, and almost half of all the competitions were dedicated to women. “One more generation ago, such progress would have seemed unthinkable,” Basha said.

According to her, sport is capable of uniting people, facilitating dialogue, trust, and mutual respect even in the most unstable conditions, remaining a “powerful factor of peace.”

Engine of development and progress

Speaking at the opening event on the occasion of the UN Day at the UN headquarters, Qatar’s Permanent Representative Ali bin Ahmed bin Saif Al Thani noted that “sport is a powerful driver of human development and social progress.”

According to her, the position taken by the country regarding holding major international sporting events reflects this vision. “We see such megasporting events not only as a platform for sporting achievements but also as an opportunity to create significant human and social heritage, to promote sustainable development and strengthen international understanding,” emphasized the diplomat.

The event was organized by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs in cooperation with the Permanent Missions of Monaco and Qatar to the UN (co-chairs of the Group of Friends of Sport for Development and Peace), as well as with the participation of the organization “Peace and Sport”, the UN Department of Global Communications, and the “UN Women” entity.