Advancing Inclusive, Equitable, and Safe Sport for All
As global attention increasingly turns toward equity, accessibility, and human-centered development, sport and physical education are being re-examined not merely as recreational activities, but as powerful drivers of social inclusion and opportunity. Against this backdrop, the International Forum on Inclusive Sport, held in Chile in November 2025, marked a significant milestone in global efforts to ensure that sport truly serves everyone — regardless of ability, background, or circumstance.
Organized by UNESCO in partnership with the Government of Chile Ministry of Sport and the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean (CAF), the Forum reinforced sport’s growing role as a catalyst for inclusion, dignity, and human development worldwide.
A Global Gathering for Inclusive Sport
The Forum took place on 27–28 November 2025 in Santiago, hosted at the historic Parque Deportivo Estadio Nacional — a venue symbolically aligned with sport, memory, and collective identity.
Bringing together voices from across regions and sectors, the event provided a high-level platform for dialogue, cooperation, and coordinated action on inclusive sport and physical education.
Purpose & Objectives
At its core, the Forum sought to advance a shared global understanding of inclusive, equitable, and safe sport as a public good. Its main objectives included:
- Highlighting the transformative role of inclusive sport and physical education, particularly in breaking down barriers for persons with disabilities and marginalized populations.
- Convening global leaders and practitioners — including government officials, athletes, specialists, policymakers, academics, and civil society representatives — to exchange knowledge, innovation, and best practices.
- Advancing policy alignment and collective action to ensure that sport and physical education systems worldwide uphold principles of equity, accessibility, and safety.
As emphasized throughout the Forum, inclusive sport is not an isolated sectoral issue, but a cross-cutting policy domain linked to education, health, social cohesion, and human rights.
Who Participated
The Forum welcomed a diverse and representative group of stakeholders, reflecting the truly global scope of the challenge:
- Government ministers and national sport authorities
- More than 150 participants from at least 35 countries
- UNESCO leadership and technical experts
- Sport specialists, researchers, civil society organisations, and athlete advocates
By engaging actors across policy, practice, and lived experience, the Forum ensured that discussions on inclusion were both strategic and grounded in real-world realities.
Key Outcome: The Santiago Roadmap — “Future in Play”
A central outcome of the Forum was the official launch of the Santiago Roadmap — Future in Play, a global framework designed to guide inclusive sport and physical education policies and actions through 2028.
The Roadmap provides a shared reference point for governments, institutions, and stakeholders, focusing on:
- Eliminating structural, physical, and social barriers to participation in sport and physical education.
- Ensuring equitable and safe sporting environments, particularly for persons with disabilities and vulnerable populations.
- Strengthening long-term inclusion commitments, aligned with upcoming global milestones such as the Special Olympics World Games 2027 and the Paralympic Games 2028.
Rather than a static declaration, the Santiago Roadmap is intended as a living framework — one that supports measurable progress, accountability, and sustained collaboration across regions and sectors.
Sport, Inclusion, and the Road Ahead
The International Forum on Inclusive Sport in Chile reaffirmed a growing global consensus: inclusive sport is not optional — it is essential. When designed and delivered intentionally, sport and physical education can expand opportunity, foster belonging, and strengthen social resilience.
By aligning political commitment, technical expertise, and lived experience, the Forum — and the Santiago Roadmap it produced — represent a significant step toward a future where sport is accessible, safe, and empowering for all. As countries look toward major global sporting moments and broader development goals, inclusion in sport will remain a defining measure of progress.
