Rabat – The International Organization for Migration (IOM) and Morocco announced today in Geneva the establishment of the Group of Friends on Sport and Migration.
The platform aims to promote social inclusion, support migrant empowerment, and strengthen migration governance through sport.
The initiative follows widespread interest from Member States during a side event organized by IOM and Morocco at the UN General Assembly’s 80th session in New York last September.
The platform provides a voluntary space for governments, organizations, and sports stakeholders to exchange experiences, share data, and discuss policies that integrate sport into migration and community inclusion strategies.
Based on the principles of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration adopted in Marrakech in 2018, the group seeks to embed sport at national and international levels as part of broader strategies for inclusion and cohesion.
Morocco’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nasser Bourita, said the launch “is not a simple institutional act, it carries a conviction, a will and an ambition to make ‘sport’ a strategic tool to address today’s migration challenges.”
He added that sport acts “as a universal language, a space of expression, where differences disappear and communities meet,” offering practical potential for migrant inclusion, youth engagement, and prevention of vulnerabilities.
The group invites all Member States, international organizations, sports associations, and relevant partners to join, reflecting a wide-ranging collaborative approach. For IOM, the timing shows the need for new tools as global mobility continues to influence societies.
Ugochi Daniels, IOM’s Deputy Director General for Operations, said that as migration and mobility shape modern societies, governments require innovative and pragmatic tools to foster inclusion and cohesion.
She noted that sport can bring people together, break down barriers, and build resilient communities, and that the group will help transform these values into concrete policies and partnerships.
The Group of Friends plans to contribute to the 2026 International Migration Review Forum. Its forthcoming tasks include creating a collection of good practices, mapping current and planned sport-related inclusion initiatives, and supporting pilot projects to improve migrant participation and well-being.
Through this platform, IOM and Morocco are working to promote intergovernmental cooperation and policy innovation, using sport as a meaningful way to support social integration, inclusion, and positive narratives around migration.