The Olympic and Paralympic Games unite people and celebrate the human spirit, but there's still work to do to ensure inclusiveness in sports. Many people continue to face challenges in exercising their right to participate in sports, including athletes living in poverty, athletes who speak out, athletes with disabilities, refugees, the LGBTIQ+ community, women and indigenous peoples. A young paralympic Iraqi table tennis champion and a member of the Refugee Team, both participating in the Paralympic and Olympic Games in Paris this Summer, share their thoughts about inclusion and belonging in sports.

The Olympic Truce – Ekecheiria – seeks to halt hostilities, ensuring safe participation in the Games and upholding the timeless Olympic values of peace, solidarity, and respect while promoting dialogue and reconciliation.

Perina Nakang, an 800-meter runner, is among the 37 athletes representing the International Olympic Committee Refugee Olympic Team at the Paris Games. Fleeing conflict at age seven, she found refuge in Kenya’s Kakuma camp, where she also discovered her passion for sports. Now, Nakang is set to compete with the aim of achieving her personal best, embodying the resilience and determination of athletes overcoming adversity.

The game is changing. For the first time in history, the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games will see an equal number of men and women competing. This 50:50 representation of athletes makes the Summer Games the first to reach gender equality. With an expected global audience of 3 billion, this year’s Games have been deliberately scheduled to make possible more balanced coverage of all events, putting all athletes in the spotlight. The Games will also feature more women’s and mixed events, offering more opportunities for women to win medals. Get the facts on women in sport.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres calls for Olympic Truce ahead of Paris Games

Ahead of the Paris Olympic Games, the United Nations has called for a global ceasefire. “In the spirit of the Olympic Truce, I call on everyone to lay down their arms, build bridges, foster solidarity, and strive for the ultimate goal: peace for all”,  UN Secretary-General António Guterres said in a statement released earlier this week. He also extended his wishes for “every success to the Olympians and Paralympians”. The video message will be played at 7:20 p.m. CET during the opening ceremony on 26 July. The ancient tradition of the Olympic Truce—Ekecheiria— originating over 3,000 years ago, aims to halt hostilities to ensure the safe participation of athletes, while promoting global peace, solidarity, and respect.

To mark the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, UNESCO is celebrating sport's role in promoting equality, dignity, and dialogue through a series of portraits and programmes. The "Change the Game" Partners’ Forum will be held at UNESCO headquarters in Paris on 23 July, followed by a Ministerial Forum on 24 July. The events will bring together ministers, sports organizations, elite athletes, private sector leaders, investors, social entrepreneurs, and other stakeholders to discuss the transformative power of sport for sustainable development.

The Paris 2024 Olympic Torch Relay will visit approximately 30 UNESCO World Heritage sites, concluding its journey in Paris on July 26 with an opening ceremony at a UNESCO site for the first time in Olympic history.

Women's sports are rapidly growing in popularity and influence, with record-breaking achievements and increasing gender parity, yet significant gaps in coverage, leadership, and pay still need to be addressed.

Chess is one of the most ancient, intellectual and cultural games, with a combination of sport, scientific thinking and elements of art. Chess is a global gamethat promotes fairness, inclusion and mutual respect. It can contribute to an atmosphere of tolerance and understanding among peoples and nations. Chess also offers important opportunities in the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals, including strengthening education, and advancing the empowerment of women and girls. On this World Chess Day (20 July), let’s celebrate chess for its important contributions to these values. 

New data show that nearly one third (31%) of adults worldwide, approximately 1.8 billion people, did not meet the recommended levels of physical activity in 2022. The findings point to a worrying trend of physical inactivity among adults, which has increased by about 5 percentage points between 2010 and 2022. If the trend continues, levels of inactivity are projected to further rise to 35% by 2030. In light of these findings, WHO is calling on countries to strengthen their policy implementation to promote and enable physical activity through grassroots and community sport and active recreation and transport.

Physical activity is linked to better mental health, improved quality of life, and overall well-being. Yoga, a 5000-year-old tradition, is a valuable practice for individuals of all ages to incorporate physical activity into their lives and achieve the level necessary to support good health. In 2024, the UN commemorates the 10th International Day of Yoga (21 June) under the theme “Yoga for Self and Society”. The global celebration aims to foster unity and harmony, transcending borders and cultures, and guiding us toward a peaceful and healthy world.

25 May is the inaugural World Football Day. It coincides with the 100th anniversary of the first international football tournament, held during the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris. Today, let's rejoice in the universal appeal and accessibility of football, and use it as a catalyst to promote health and wellbeing, gender equality, and fostering mutual understanding, tolerance, respect, and solidarity.

UNESCO roundtable unites leaders in sport and government to combat gender-based violence, emphasize survivor voices, advocate for data-driven policies, and promote inclusive narratives for a safer and more equitable sports culture worldwide.

Solange Memadji, displaced by conflict in Chad, finds solace and community in Baltram, where integration initiatives empower displaced individuals to rebuild their lives and foster unity within their host community.

Sport has the power to change the world. It has the power to inspire. It has the power to unite people in a way that little else does. The International Day of Sport for Development and Peace (6 April), presents an opportunity to recognize the positive role sport and physical activity play in communities and people’s lives across the globe. The global theme for 2024 is “Sport for the Promotion of Peaceful and Inclusive Societies”. The UN has long recognized the power and universality of sport and has used it to unite individuals and groups through the promotion of sports for development.