Transforming lives through sport: one year on from the Global Refugee Forum 2023

In December 2023, the Multi-Stakeholder Pledge on Sport for Inclusion and Protection was presented at the second Global Refugee Forum in Geneva by the International Olympic Committee President, Thomas Bach, together with leading sport organizations. More than 140 entities have joined the pledge, including national and international sports federations, the Olympic and Paralympic Movements, the private sector, sports media, and sport for development NGOs. Collectively, they committed to using sport to support refugees and displaced people.

A year on from the Forum, the sport pledge and its stakeholders are hard at work translating these pledges into action. With commitments being implemented in 82 countries, support is being provided to around 2,000 clubs and initiatives, so far reaching more than 445,000 displaced people through sport. These commitments also include training over 6,000 individuals to lead sport-based activities and creating or refurbishing 109 sporting spaces. Beyond the Olympics and Paralympics, facilitating refugees’ access to sport events and high-level competitions has also been a focus of sport pledges, for example, in 2024 the International Chess Federation (FIDE) supported the participation of refugee players in the Kenya National Youth Chess Championship, with one refugee participant becoming the under-18 Champion.

Soloman Mulenga, a Refugee Officer for the International Judo Federation, highlights how sport can also open up opportunities far beyond the pitch or ring: "Judo offers valuable opportunities for skill development which can be translated into coaching, leading community initiatives or even pursuing employment within the broader community, positioning refugees as leaders and contributors within the community."

While primarily contributing to the second objective of the GCR - to enhance refugee self-reliance - sport’s cross cutting nature and focus on partnerships means these commitments are also contributing to achieving the other objectives of the GCR, including providing skills-based pathways, which open up access to countries for refugees to resettle in and start new lives (objective 3), and strengthening peacebuilding efforts through the unifying power of sport (objective 4). Other pledges have offered leadership positions and coaching roles to refugees, and some are leveraging sport's communication platform to promote the needs of refugee and host communities with new audiences.

The growing movement of organizations from across the sport ecosystem supporting refugees is driven by the collective efforts of the Sport for Refugees Coalition. This global coalition aims to facilitate collaboration, foster synergies, and strengthen connections between its members, helping entities to implement their pledges in support of host communities. Ensuring that displaced communities have access to and can benefit from sport requires teamwork. It demands a multi-sectoral approach, bringing together the diverse expertise of organizations and stakeholders from various fields. The coalition values this collaborative approach and invites organizations to join by making a commitment to the Sport Pledge.

To learn more about how sport can contribute to the protection and inclusion of refugees and host communities and to find ways to get involved, visit the Sport for Refugees Coalition webpage or get in touch at [email protected].

Highlights of the first year's GRF reporting are available online.