New York: The Permanent Mission of the State of Qatar to the United Nations, in partnership with the Permanent Mission of the Principality of Monaco to the United Nations, organized an interactive dialogue for the Group of Friends of Sport for Development and Peace.
The event was held at the UN Headquarters in New York, with both missions serving as co-chairs of the group. It featured the participation of President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) HE Kirsty Coventry, marking her first engagement with the Group of Friends since assuming office in June of this year, and President of the Organizing Committee for Milano-Cortina 2026 HE Giovanni Malago.
In her opening remarks, Permanent Representative of the State of Qatar to the United Nations HE Sheikha Alya Ahmed bin Saif Al-Thani congratulated HE Coventry on assuming the presidency of the International Olympic Committee.
She affirmed that the Group of Friends looks forward to strengthening close cooperation with the IOC under her leadership to advance the global agenda of sport for development and peace. Her Excellency also welcomed HE Malago and thanked him for participating in this important dialogue.
Her Excellency stressed that the meeting comes at a significant moment, as Qatar had hosted the Second World Summit for Social Development only weeks earlier.
During that summit, world leaders adopted the Doha Political Declaration, which reaffirmed the transformative role of sport as a tool for promoting inclusion, social cohesion, and sustainable development.
HE the Permanent Representative expressed gratitude to the Qatar Olympic Committee for its vital role in advancing Qatar National Vision 2030, which places human development at its core and emphasizes investment in sport as a driver of growth.
Her Excellency also noted that, on the same day, the UN General Assembly adopted the resolution entitled "Building a Peaceful and Better World through Sport and the Olympic Ideal." She underlined that this resolution remains a powerful symbol of unity and a reminder that sport creates spaces for dialogue and enables countries to come together around shared values, even in times of global tension. She added that the resolution reconfirms the essential role of sport in education, inclusion, and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
For her part, HE the President of the International Olympic Committee said that the IOC’s engagement in UN-driven sport initiatives is an extension of its mission to promote Olympic values founded on excellence, respect, and friendship.
She noted that the IOC works with the United Nations and Member States through its programs and partners to expand initiatives that target youth and marginalized groups, and she emphasized the importance of creating safe environments that allow everyone to participate in sports activities.
Her Excellency expressed her appreciation to the State of Qatar Qatar and Monaco for their leadership in supporting sport as a means to implement the Sustainable Development Goals, highlighting the importance Qatar places on major sporting events. She affirmed that Qatar today stands as a model in hosting global sports events.
HE Malago said that preparations for hosting the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics are heavily focused on integrating social and environmental dimensions at all stages of planning and implementation. He emphasised that the Olympic event will provide a platform to showcase how sport can strengthen solidarity among youth and nations.
The meeting witnessed wide participation from UN officials and representatives of Member States, who discussed the role of sport in achieving development and peace. They emphasized the importance of continued multilateral cooperation to expand the role of sport in promoting social inclusion and advancing the Sustainable Development Goals.
