On the occasion of the United Nations International Day of Sport for Development and Peace (IDSDP), the Youth Charter (www.YouthCharter.org) is issuing a global Call to Action urging greater coordinated efforts across governments, institutions, and civil society to harness the power of sport in delivering the UN 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
For over three decades, the Youth Charter has championed sport as a powerful tool to engage, empower, and elevate the lives of young people and their communities. In this critical decade of action for the SDGs, we must move from policy to practice, from words to action, ensuring that sport is not only recognised but fully integrated into national and global development strategies.
Geoff Thompson, Founder and Chair of the Youth Charter, stated: “Sport for Development and Peace is more than a slogan—it is a proven, practical framework to address some of the world’s most urgent challenges: inequality, violence, health, education, and youth unemployment. Today, we renew our commitment and call on all stakeholders to collaborate in realising the full potential of sport as a force for sustainable development.”
The Youth Charter’s Community Campus model and Social Coach Leadership Programme continue to demonstrate how grassroots engagement through sport, arts, culture, and digital innovation can create meaningful change. By mapping, tracking, and measuring impact aligned with the UN SDGs, the Youth Charter is building a legacy of social, cultural, and economic empowerment for future generations.
This Call to Action is directed to:
- National and Local Governments: Integrate sport for development into education, health, and community policy frameworks.
- Funding Agencies and Philanthropy: Invest in scalable and sustainable sport-based initiatives that align with SDG outcomes.
- Civil Society and NGOs: Partner on inclusive, community-driven programmes using sport to reach the most vulnerable.
- Youth and Community Leaders: Mobilise and mentor the next generation through sport-led civic engagement and leadership.
As we mark this important day, the Youth Charter reaffirms its mission to leave noone behind and invites the global community to join our #GlobalCall2Action. Together, we can build a more peaceful, inclusive, and sustainable world—one community, one young person, and one game at a time.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Youth Charter.
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About Youth Charter:
The Youth Charter is a UK registered charity and UN accredited non-governmental organisation. Launched in 1993 as part of the Manchester 2000 Olympic Bid and the 2002 Commonwealth Games, the Youth Charter has Campaigned and Promoted the role and value of sport, art, culture and digital technology in the lives of disaffected young people from disadvantaged communities nationally and internationally. The Youth Charter has a proven track record in the creation and delivery of social and human development programmes with the overall aim of providing young people with an opportunity to develop in life.
Specifically, The Youth Charter Tackles educational non-attainment, health inequality, anti-social behaviour and the negative effects of crime, drugs, gang related activity and racism by applying the ethics of sporting and artistic excellence. These can then be translated to provide social and economic benefits of citizenship, rights responsibilities, with improved education, health, social order, environment and college, university, employment and enterprise.
The Youth Charter (www.YouthCharter.org) is a UK registered charity and United Nations Non-Governmental Organization.
Address:
Youth Charter
Dame Mary Glen Haig Office for Sport for Development and Peace
London Stadium Learning
London Stadium,
London, E20 2ST
