Youth Charter Statement: Calling for Cohesion in the Global Delivery of Sport for Development and the SDGs

The Youth Charter welcomes the ambitions expressed at the recent IOC Sustainability Summit and commends the advancements showcased through the Olympism365 platform, which has initiated over 550 programmes across 175 countries. These initiatives reaffirm the shared global vision of harnessing sport for youth development, gender equality, health, inclusion, sustainability, and peacebuilding.

However, as a social legacy institution with a 30-year track record of delivering Sport for Development and Peace aligned with the UN SDGs, we offer this response as both a partner and critical friend. We call for greater cohesion, accountability, and youth voice in the global delivery of this vision.

Key Observations

1. Leadership Without Local Alignment While IOC leadership, including President Thomas Bach and Olympism365, has provided strategic direction, the disconnect between global frameworks and national implementation remains a major barrier. For instance, only 10% of NOC websites reviewed by Global Sustainable Sport include a defined sustainability strategy highlighting the need for consistent local-to-global integration.

2. Lack of Timely and Transparent Reporting The absence of annual or biennial sustainability reporting undermines the credibility of the movement. Transparency is non-negotiable if the Olympic Movement is to act as a genuine global leader in sustainable development.

3. Safeguarding and Wellbeing as a Priority, But Lacking Scale The IOC’s focus on athlete mental health, safeguarding, and the development of AI tools and Safe Sport Hubs is welcome. However, these efforts must scale with urgency, particularly in regions where sport infrastructure, governance, and mental health services remain under-resourced.

4. Enforceability vs. Inspiration The Brisbane 2032 reversal on “climate positive” commitments underscore a troubling reliance on non-binding aspirations. The Olympic Movement must go beyond soft power and lead with accountability frameworks that ensure delivery of sustainability promises.

5. Youth Participation and Intergenerational Equity Youth engagement was largely absent from the Summit’s reported outcomes. Young people are not just beneficiaries of sport for development—they are its co-creators and future custodians. Their voices must be integral at every level.

Youth Charter’s Call to Action

As part of our Global Call 2 Action, the Youth Charter calls for:

1. A Unified Framework for Global Sport Development The UN SDGs must be embedded with measurable indicators across all NOCs, International Federations, and local community organisations, building bridges between the Olympic Movement and grassroots realities.

2. Annual Public Accountability and Impact Reporting All Olympic stakeholders should commit to annual sustainability reporting following internationally recognised standards (e.g., GRI), supported by independent verification and youth-led monitoring mechanisms.

3. A Global Youth and Community Engagement Taskforce The IOC, together with the UN and civil society actors, must establish a cross-sectoral taskforce to amplify youth voices and ensure young people help co-design and deliver sport-for-development initiatives aligned with the SDGs.

4. Strengthened Local Ecosystem Collaboration National and city-level Olympic Committees must partner with local education, health, and community institutions to ensure sustainability and inclusion are embedded in practice, not just policy.

5. Investment in Social Legacy Infrastructure Beyond elite performance, long-term funding must be directed toward community sport infrastructure, youth employability, safeguarding, and mental health services, especially in underserved regions

Conclusion

The IOC Sustainability Summit has highlighted the potential of sport to contribute to a fairer, greener, and more inclusive world. Yet potential alone is not progress. Only through greater cohesion, authentic youth engagement, and systemic accountability will sport realise its full promise in delivering the UN SDGs.

The Youth Charter stands ready to support this global mission, with and for young people, so that the legacy of the Olympic Movement is not only celebrated on the podium but lived in communities around the world.