PARIS — The World Jewish Congress, together with UNESCO, the European Union Delegation to UNESCO and the OECD, and the Permanent Delegation of Poland to UNESCO, co-hosted a special side event today focused on tackling racism, antisemitism, and violence against women and girls in and through sports.
Held at the UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, the event brought together diplomats, civil society leaders, and representatives from across the sports ecosystem for a timely conversation on sport’s potential to drive positive social change—and the urgent need to confront discrimination and abuse that continue to persist at all levels.
Opening remarks were delivered by Christina Kokkinakis, Ambassador and Permanent Delegate of the EU to the OECD and UNESCO; Stefania Giannini, Assistant Director-General for Education at UNESCO; and Mariusz Lewicki, Ambassador and Permanent Delegate of Poland to UNESCO. All reaffirmed their institutions’ commitment to safe, inclusive sporting environments and the universal values enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Loading tweet...The panel discussion, moderated by Giulia Scacchi of UNESCO’s Social and Human Sciences Sector, featured Katharina von Schnurbein, European Commission Coordinator on Combating Antisemitism and Fostering Jewish Life; Yonathan Arfi, President of the Representative Council of French Jewish Institutions (CRIF) and Vice President of the World Jewish Congress; and Hermann Ebongué, President of Sportitude-France and Secretary General of SOS Racisme.
Speaking on behalf of the WJC, Arfi highlighted the dual role of sport as both a mirror of society and a driver of societal norms: "Sport has a particular duality. It can serve as a powerful unifier across different groups and cultures, yet it can also act as a catalyst for exclusion and deepen divisions."
The event concluded with remarks from Philippe Schmidt, Vice President of LICRA (Ligue Internationale Contre le Racisme et l’Antisémitisme), who emphasized the importance of multi-stakeholder cooperation in addressing hate and ensuring that sport lives up to its promise as a universal language for peace.
This event builds on UNESCO’s Fit for Life Network against Racism and complements the European Union’s strategy on combating antisemitism, including in sport. It also reinforces the World Jewish Congress’s Together Through Sports initiative, which leverages the collective power of the sporting community to confront antisemitism and foster inclusion.
