WHO - World Health Organization

25/07/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 26/07/2024 05:41

WHO Director-General's remarks at Paris Summit on Sports for Sustainable Development (S4SD) – 25 July 2024

Your Excellencies Heads of State, Heads of Government,

My friend President Bach,

Excellencies, dear colleagues and friends,

At the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome, Abebe Bikila made history by becoming the first black African to win gold in the men's marathon.

Not only that, he ran barefoot and broke the world record.

Abebe Bikila inspired generations of runners, from Africa and around the world.

That's the power of sport: the power to inspire, and the power to change.

And that's what Pau is doing, and that's what WHO is doing in our partnership with the IOC, IPC and FIFA: harnessing the power of sport for health, by promoting physical activity, as what my brother Thomas said by the 'Let's Move' campaign, grass-roots sport, good nutrition and more.

Pau and every other elite athlete will tell you that good nutrition is key to their performance.

And it's essential for the flourishing of every human, athlete or not.

Access to nutritious food is a human right, and a cornerstone for sustainable development.

And yet globally, 2.3 billion people face moderate or severe food insecurity.

And as you heard from Pau, millions more live with obesity due to unhealthy and unaffordable diets.

Globally, WHO is supporting 32 countries to address obesity through healthier diets as Pau said, physical activity and improved health services.

We're committed to expanding that support to more countries, with the aim of reducing obesity prevalence in each nation by 5% by 2030.

WHO supports the Paris Agreement for Sport and Sustainable Development, including the commitment to mobilize for nutrition ahead of the fourth Nutrition for Growth Summit in Paris next year.

In every country, the vital ingredient is political leadership.

I thank President Macron for his leadership in global health, for supporting the WHO Academy in Lyon, and for co-hosting the WHO Investment Round.

Excellencies, dear colleagues,

The Olympic motto - "Faster, higher, stronger - together" - must also be our motto for sustainable development.

We must move faster; we must aim higher; we must make stronger efforts; and we must work together, for the world we want - a healthier, safer, fairer world.

Merci beaucoup. Thank you.