Sport highimpact solution to keep people healthy, IOC President Coventry underlines at the UN

26 September 2025 – Sport is one of the “most effective low-cost, high-impact solutions to prevent diseases and to support mental health”. This was underlined by International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Kirsty Coventry in the High-Level Meeting on Noncommunicable Diseases and Mental Health during this year’s High-Level Week convened by the United Nations (UN) General Assembly (GA) in New York. The meeting was chaired by UN GA President Annalena Baerbock, who congratulated Coventry on her election.

Noncommunicable Diseases (NCDs) include seven of the world’s top ten causes of death. In addition, almost one billion people face mental health conditions, the World Health Organisation (WHO) says.

Coventry came to the UN for the first time as IOC President. She was accompanied by Luis Alberto Moreno, the IOC’s Permanent Observer at the UN. She attended the 80^th Session of the UN GA and followed the debate. The IOC has had Permanent Observer Status at the UN since 2009.

On the sidelines of the GA, she met a number of heads of state and government, among them Giorgia Meloni, Prime Minister of Italy, which will host the upcoming Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games next year.

President Coventry also met the President of Paraguay, Santiago Peña, and the President of Senegal, Bassirou Diomaye Diakhar Faye. Senegal will host the next edition of the Youth Olympic Games, Dakar 2026.

While in New York, the IOC President met a range of Worldwide Olympic Partners, Media Rights-Holders (MRHs) and other stakeholders. These included the CEO of Alibaba, Joe Tsai; the CEO of VISA, Ryan McInerney; Brian Roberts, the Chairman and CEO of Comcast Corporation; and David Zaslav, President and CEO of Warner Bros Discovery (WBD). She also met Ari Emanuel, the CEO of Endeavor, and Mark Shapiro, President and Chief Operating Officer of Endeavor, which is the majority owner of TKO Group Holdings Inc., the parent company of On Location, the Official Hospitality Provider for the Milano Cortina 2026 and LA28 Games.

In addition to these meetings, the President hosted a dinner for the IOC Members who were in New York during this time, and met former IOC Ethics Commission Chair and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, FIFA President Gianni Infantino, World Curling President Beau Welling, IOC Member and Athletes’ Commission member Pau Gasol, and Rémy Rioux, the CEO of the French Development Agency (AFD).

Joining the TODAY Show on NBC, Coventry spoke about her vision for the Games. “The Olympic Games showcase the best of humanity (…) I want to ensure the Games remain relevant and a space of inspiration, especially in a very divided world,” she said.

Looking ahead to the upcoming Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Games, the two-time Olympic Champion in Swimming told the viewers of one of America’s leading morning shows: “Italy is known for its landscapes, right, the beautiful landscapes, the family feel, the passion that Italians have for sport. They’re ready to put on a show. It’s going to be a beautiful show.”

Speaking at the NCD High-Level Event, which was also attended by Deputy UN Secretary-General Amina Mohammed and WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the IOC President explained: “Studies show that every dollar invested in sport and physical activity can deliver a fourfold return in health and economic benefits — from lower healthcare costs to longer, healthier lives. In other words, investing in sport is a long-term investment in stronger, more resilient communities.” Read the full speech here.
 

In the political declaration, which was adopted during the High-Level Meeting, UN Member States recognised the role of sport and physical activity in preventing NCDs. It is essential to have the relevant legislation, regulation, policies and actions that “promote adequate physical activity, including sports and recreation, and reduce sedentary behaviour, including through increasing access to public spaces”.

Building on the declaration, the IOC President explained: “Every step, every game, every movement saves lives — and saves money. Physical inactivity already costs healthcare systems an estimated 27 billion dollars every year to treat preventable diseases.”

President Coventry also attended an event by the Spotlight Initiative entitled “Global Full Speed Ahead: A Global Partnership to Eliminate Violence Against Women and Girls by 2030”. There she announced that the IOC will deepen its collaboration with the UN. “Together with the Spotlight Initiative, we will expand the contribution of sport to ending violence against women and girls through joint advocacy, training and direct support to community programmes. To truly make a difference, we need strong partnerships, political will and continued investment, because we know that investing in sport works,” she said. Read the full speech here.

The Spotlight Initiative is the world’s biggest effort to end violence against women and girls, led by the UN. It was launched in 2017.