AS Roma join UNHCR and IOC in pledge of support for refugees

Roma, along with over 70 other sports organisations, have committed to helping young refugees discover their potential through sports.

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced today that National Olympic Committees, international sporting federations, national associations, clubs and civil society organisations working through sport – are all pledging to provide sporting opportunities to young refugees.

Recognising the transformative power of sport, UNHCR has worked closely with the Olympic Refuge Foundation (ORF) and the IOC on this global initiative, ahead of the first-ever Global Refugee Forum in Geneva on December 17 and 18.

The three pledges AS Roma have signed up to include:

1. To promote and ensure access for all refugees, without distinction of any kind, to safe and inclusive sporting facilities.

2. To increase availability and access to organised sports and sport-based initiatives for refugee and hosting communities, actively considering age, gender, ability and other diversity needs.

3. To promote and facilitate equal access to and participation of refugees in sporting events and competitions at all levels.

“We wholeheartedly welcome these important commitments,” said the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi. “They clearly demonstrate that the sporting world stands with refugees.

“This genuinely global and collective effort is crucial for promoting sports programmes to help young refugees build confidence, their physical and mental health, discover their potential and restore the prospect of a better future.”

The President of the IOC, Thomas Bach, who will be presenting the pledges on behalf of the signatories at the upcoming Global Refugee Forum, also welcomed the support.

“Through sport, the IOC has been supporting refugees around the world for many years,” said Bach. ”More recently, together with UNHCR, we created the Olympic Refuge Foundation. The pledges that we are making today reaffirm the commitment from the sports movement and key partners – from governments to NGOs – to play their part in supporting refugees.”

Those making pledges include AS Roma, World Athletics, the International Judo Federation, Special Olympics and International Paralympic Committee, the Bangladesh, English and Republic of Ireland Football Associations, the AC Milan Foundation, Council of Southern Africa Football Associations, and Olympic Committees from 12 countries.

A declaration signed by those pledging recognises that for children and young people uprooted by war or persecution, sport is much more than a leisure activity. It’s an opportunity to be included and protected – a chance to heal, develop and grow.

The signatories are also calling for sports organisations around the world to join them in offering sporting opportunities to refugee and internally displaced young people, especially those living in their communities.

The full list of signatories is as follows:

1. AC Milan Foundation
2. AS Roma
3. Agitos Foundation
4. Association Football Development Programme, Global
5. Badminton World Federation
6. Bangladesh Football Federation
7. Beyond Hoops Africa
8. Beyond Sport
9. Black Pearls Academy, Brazil
10. Canadian Olympic Committee
11. Coaches Across Continents
12. Council of Southern Africa Football Associations (COSAFA)
13. Cricket Without Boundaries
14. English Football Association
15. Féderation Internationale de Motocyclisme
16. Fédération Internationale de Teqball
17. Fight for Peace
18. FLAG21
19. Football Association of Ireland (FAI)
20. Football United
21. Fundacja dla Wolności
22. Foundation for Sport, Development and Peace
23. Game
24. Generation for peace
25. German Olympic Committee
26. Happy Foot
27. Health Development Consultancy Services
28. Hellenic Paralympic Committee
29. International Federation of Sport Climbing
30. International Floorball Federation
31. International Judo Federation
32. International Paralympic Committee
33. International Surfing Association
34. International Sport and Culture Association
35. International Table Tennis Foundation
36. Japan
37. KLABU Foundation
38. L.A.C.E.S.
39. Liechtenstein Olympic Committee
40. Mexican Olympic Committee
41. National Sport and Olympic Committee of France
42. Netherland Sport Federation
43. New Zealand
44. Norwegian Olympic Committee
45. Olympic Refuge Foundation
46. Palestine: Sports for Life
47. Papua New Guinea Olympic Committee
48. Peace and Sport
49. PLAY International
50. Portugal National Olympic Committee
51. Reclaim Childhood
52. Right to Play
53. Scottish Football Association
54. Spartans Community Football Academy
55. Special Olympics
56. Sport Against Racism Ireland
57. Tambai Zimbabwe
58. SRC Harare, Penyai Stars Trust
59. Swiss Academy of Development
60. Switzerland
61. Taekwondo Humanitarian Foundation
62. Tam Tam Basketball
63. Turkish Olympic Committee
64. Uganda Olympic Committee
65. Unione Italiana Sport Per Tutti (UISP APS)
66. United States Olympic Committee
67. United States Paralympic Committee
68. Vienna Institute for International Dialogue and Cooperation
69. Womenwin
70. World Association of Kickboxing Organizations
71. World Athletics
72. World Baseball Softball Confederation
73. World Karate Federation
74. World Taekwondo Federation
75. Youth Sport Uganda