His Excellency President Dr Julius Maada Bio has attended the International Summit on Sport for Sustainable Development and extended his gratitude to French President Emmanuel Macron and President Thomas Bach of the International Olympic Committee, IOC, for spearheading the important initiative.

The Summit brought together over 60 Heads of State and Government, as well as leaders of international organisations, including the Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres. The discussions focused on leveraging sport as an accelerator of sustainable development for future generations.

The Summit resulted in a series of ambitious commitments across five key focal areas – Education and Employment; Health and Nutrition; Equality and Inclusion; Financing and Impact Measurement; and Sustainability and Legacy.

Several significant announcements were also made, including – A USD$10 billion commitment by a coalition of public development banks and other financial institutions to invest in community-based,
inclusive, and sustainable sports infrastructure by 2030.

The Federation of International Football Association also pledged to install 1,000 sustainable football pitches in schools in support of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. The IOC also announced a 10% budgetary increase dedicated to Olympic Solidarity (USD650 million for 2025-2028).

The National Basketball Association, in partnership with the French Development Agency and other partners, also announced a pledge to construct 1,000 basketball courts in Africa over the next decade.

Following the successful Summit, President Bio expressed his gratitude to the organisers.

Writing on the social media platform X, he stated, ‘I extend my gratitude to my dear friend and colleague, President Emmanuel Macron, and to the President of the IOC, Thomas Bach, for spearheading this important Summit which has underscored the pivotal role of sport as a catalyst for sustainable development

Source: Sierra Leone News Agency