UNDP–INsports Alliance Backs Sustainable Development

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Mexico and the INsports Eurolatam Hub have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that opens a new collaboration aimed at highlighting the role of sport as a strategic element for sustainable development across social, economic and environmental dimensions.

The MoU seeks to promote sports-driven projects focused on gender equality, sustainable development, inclusion, good governance, social innovation, entrepreneurship and the creation of resilient communities.

This partnership combines UNDP’s global experience, its mandate to address poverty, inequality and the effects of climate change, and its growing interest in strategically incorporating sport into its development activities. It also aims to support a sports industry that contributes to sustainable development and places people’s needs, rights and capacities at the center.

For its part, the INsports Eurolatam Hub will draw on its experience in co-creation and sports innovation to channel ideas, talent and institutions from Europe and Latin America and the Caribbean in order to strengthen existing programs and develop new projects.

Oscar Pérez-Córdoba, Founder and Chief Development Officer, INsports Eurolatam, highlighted the importance of the alliance, calling it one of the most significant in the platform’s history. “With the support of UNDP in Mexico, we are confident that we will be able to establish a solid platform for collaboration across different sectors, from professional sports, regional and local institutions, companies, and the entrepreneurial ecosystem to the public sector. Together, we can create a very positive breeding ground for our society, one that will expand from Mexico to Latin America and Europe,” he said.

Silvia Morimoto, UNDP Resident Representative in Mexico, said that sport has multiple intersections with sustainable development, from its impact on people’s physical and mental health to job creation, economic growth, and the integration of people in mobility situations into their host communities.

“At UNDP, we recognize that the potential of sport as a driver of development can only be fully realized when the public sector, private sector, academia, and civil society work together. This is why we welcome this collaboration with INsports, as we are certain that by combining our strengths we can achieve better results in sports and development projects for the benefit of people and the planet,” she noted.

The MoU outlines the development of local and regional projects through alliances between Europe and Latin America and the Caribbean, the creation of a collaborative community within the sports ecosystem, the facilitation of thematic training sessions and support for impact-driven entrepreneurship in the sports sector. As part of the collaboration, INsports Eurolatam helped build partnerships, including one between Club América and UNDP, to promote activities that support sustainable development.

The Role of Sports in Sustainable Development

The UN’s 2030 Agenda recognizes the increasing contribution of sport to development and peace by promoting tolerance and respect, while also supporting the empowerment of women, youth, individuals and communities, as well as health, education and social inclusion goals.

Sport contributes to well-being regardless of age, gender or ethnicity, supporting several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). For example, at its most basic level, sport encourages balanced participation and can promote gender equality (SDG 5). Through physical activity, women and girls can be empowered and can benefit from its positive effects on health and psychosocial well-being.

Sport also supports more inclusive cities and communities by fostering social development and shifting perceptions regarding people with disabilities (SDG 11). In addition, physical activity can serve as a valid tool for conflict prevention and the promotion of lasting peace (SDG 16).

In Mexico, UNESCO implements evidence-based sports interventions through its Fit for Life program. The initiative has mobilized cooperation and commitments from various subnational governments, resulting in the creation of the first network of local governments in Latin America and the Caribbean dedicated to these objectives. More than 15 municipal and state governments in the country are now part of this network.