Olympic Movement forges new era of cross-sector collaboration

The spirit of Olympism365 was alive and well in 2025. Around the world, NOCs rallied behind the collective action approach, forming partnerships with a variety of non-Olympic Movement stakeholders to usher in a new era of cooperation for sport for sustainable development initiatives.

These efforts took centre stage at the inaugural Olympism365 Summit in Lausanne, a gathering of more than 100 organisations representing sport, government, civil society and the private sector organised by the IOC in June 2025.

Bringing together over 300 participants from 70 countries, the Summit created a valuable space for dialogue, knowledge exchange and strengthening cross-sector collaboration. It also provided 30 NOCs with the opportunity to connect with key stakeholders beyond sport, while showcasing the growing number of collaborations taking place globally.

One such undertaking was the Mexican Olympic Committee’s successful partnership with the government of Mexico City on its Points of Innovation, Freedom, Art, Education and Knowledge (PILARES) project.

PILARES is a government-run network of 300 community centres serving disadvantaged neighbourhoods in the city’s 16 districts. Capitalising on sport’s ability to strengthen social cohesion, 57 sports disciplines are now offered free of charge to people of all ages at the centres.

In 2025, the NOC trained 51 PILARES coaches and educators on how to use sport as a tool for development, bringing the total number to 132. Equipped with this knowledge, they are now delivering sports activities that not only improve the health and welfare of participants, but also instil a lasting sense of empowerment.

The project has “democratised access to sports” in the city, according to Aidee Tinoco, Director of Olympic Solidarity at the Mexican NOC. “Olympism is now available to everyone, every day – 365 days a year.”

Similar strides are being made in Botswana, where the NOC teamed up with the Botswana National Sport Commission and the Association for International Sport for All (TAFISA) to provide 36 community sports leaders with Sport for All training in 2025.

Supported through Olympism365 under the TAFISA SUCCEED framework, the programme taught participants how to design and deliver Sport for All activities based on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs).

Members of district sports bodies, local clubs and community organisations took part in the TAFISA Certified Leadership Course (CLC). Five community development projects that address issues such as active ageing, intergenerational engagement and well-being were created by the programme participants and will be implemented in 2026.

“The TAFISA CLC has prepared me to lead effectively,” said Onkabetse Nkobolo, a graduate of the course. “I am now applying what I learnt to ensure that my organisation, Play Without Boundaries, which works with persons with disabilities, delivers programmes successfully and with greater impact.”

Another standout initiative at the Olympism365 Summit came courtesy of the Olympic Committee of Slovenia Association of Sports Federations.

Following the Slovenian government’s decision to triple the country’s sport budget after the COVID-19 pandemic, the NOC partnered with multiple government ministries to develop an ambitious 10-year National Sports Programme aimed at improving physical and mental health, social development and national identity in the country.

With the active collaboration of government ministries, Slovenia has underscored its commitment to sport as a critical public investment, not merely a hunt for medals at elite sporting events. When fully implemented in 2035, the programme is expected to have a tremendous positive impact on almost every aspect of society.

“We are cooperating with other areas of society such as health care, education, the economy and culture because we believe that by connecting with the wider social sphere we can contribute even more actively to the development of sport, improve the physical activity levels of all citizens, and enhance collective well-being,” said Slovenian NOC Secretary General Uroš Mohorič.

The Olympism365 Summit marked a significant milestone in global efforts to strengthen the role of sport in advancing sustainable development. It closed with 45 commitments valued at USD 200 million over the next four years, and pledges from 68 organisations to use sport as a tool to advance the UN SDGs.

By aligning sports initiatives with the UN SDGs, NOCs like those in Mexico, Botswana and Slovenia are demonstrating that sport and social development are two sides of the same coin. And as this collective action expands, so too does the reach of Olympism and the positive impact it can have on people everywhere, 365 days of the year.