To commemorate the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace, the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) and the Japan Sport Council (JSC) co-hosted a special event on 4 May 2025 at Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan, entitled “Promoting Sport for Development and Peace: Co-creating Culture through Sport and Diplomacy.”
Through interactive community walls and sport-technology activities, the event offered visitors an opportunity to rediscover the role of sport in social inclusion, peacebuilding, and sustainable development.
A dedicated “Sport for Development and Peace” workshop, presented by the JSC High Performance Sport Centre, brought together sport practitioners, policymakers, academics, private sector representatives, and Expo visitors to exchange insights and explore practical ways to promote gender equality, social inclusion, environmental sustainability, and other SDG-related objectives through sport.
Interactive exhibits included immersive videos, innovative sports demonstrations, and technology-driven experiences such as a virtual rowing activity developed in collaboration with World Rowing.
The event formed part of UNITAR and JSC’s shared commitment to raising awareness of the power of sport to drive peace, inclusion, and sustainable development.
Key Information
- May 4th 2025
- In-Person Event
- Located in Osaka, Japan Expo at the Theme Week Studio
International Day of Sport for Development and Peace Campaign
In the lead-up to Expo 2025 Osaka and to mark the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace (IDSDP), UNITAR and the Japan Sport Council (JSC) launched a global campaign to spotlight the transformative role of sport in driving positive change, together with athletes, organizations, and changemakers from around the world.
Individuals and institutions working in the field of sport for development and peace were invited to create short videos introducing their initiatives and to share them on social media using the hashtags #IDSDP2025 and #Expo2025Osaka.
Selected submissions were compiled into a collective video campaign showcased at Expo 2025 Osaka, raising awareness of the power of sport in promoting peace, inclusion, and sustainable development.