Lausanne commitments, Dakar ambitions: United Through Sports at SportAccord 2026
Lausanne, Switzerland: From a landmark declaration against child trafficking to an open invitation for international federations to join the activities around the Youth Olympic Games Dakar 2026, United Through Sports spent a week in the Olympic Capital turning shared values into shared action.
In Lausanne, where much of the governance of world sport is shaped, United Through Sports (UTS) arrived at SportAccord 2026 with one conviction: every young person deserves to play, learn and grow in safety. Over the course of the week, that conviction became commitment. More than 50 international federations and National Olympic Committees signed the United Declaration on the Elimination of Child Trafficking in, through and around Sport, the cornerstone of The Line We Don’t Cross campaign led by Mission 89 in partnership with UTS.
The signings took place on 4 and 5 October at the Maison du Sport International and the Royal Savoy Hotel, alongside the AIMS General Assembly and the SportAccord Forum. Every signatory now carries the same pledge back to its members: zero tolerance for child trafficking, abuse and exploitation in sport.
The SportAccord Forum, held at the Olympic Museum from 5 to 7 October under the theme “When the Playbook Changes: Leading Sport in a New Reality”, brought together international federations, host cities and industry partners. IOC President Kirsty Coventry addressed delegates on the IOC’s Fit for the Future strategy, setting the tone for a week of discussion at the highest level of the Olympic Movement.
A shared commitment across international sport
The Declaration’s signatories included AIMS President Stephan Fox and ARISF President Raffaele Chiulli, together with World Boxing, World Squash, International Table Tennis Federation, Islamic Solidarity Sport Association, World Sport for All (FISpT), the International Dragon Boat Federation and the National Olympic Committees of Indonesia and Serbia. Their support opens a direct route for the campaign into sporting systems and national networks around the world.
United Through Sports was founded in 2017 under AIMS, one of the four governing bodies recognised by the International Olympic Committee with its President, Stephan Fox, who also serves as President of AIMS. That standing gives UTS access to the leaders who can embed child protection in federation policy and practice. In Lausanne, UTS connected this leadership network with Mission 89’s specialist expertise on trafficking and exploitation, helping to mobilise signatories across the week.
Our mission is to form alliances, united for all youth, promoting healthy lifestyles through sport and education. At SportAccord, that mission had a practical purpose: to place the needs of young people at the centre of the conversations that shape their sporting lives.
Presenting the Dakar 2026 programme to AIMS members
At the AIMS General Assembly on 5 October, UTS Chief Executive Officer Julia Govinden presented to the AIMS members and guests including FISU President Leonz Eder and President of the International Military Sports Council (CISM) Colonel Nilton Gomes Rolim Filho, the UTS program for the Youth Olympic Games Dakar 2026, the first Olympic event to be held in Africa, and set out how international federations can take part.
Taking place from 31 October to 13 November 2026, the Games offer a generational opportunity for young people in Senegal. Working with the local organising committee under the Dundal JOJ Campaign initiated by the President of the Repulic of Senegal, Bassirou Diomaye Faye.
Ministries, schools, sports organisations and local partners, UTS in collobaration with the Dundal JOJ are working to ensure the youth of Senegal have access to sports, education, and to leave a lasting legacy beyond the games.
Julia Govinden then set out numerous ways for federations to contribute, and closed with a simple question for every federation in the room: Do you have a national federation in Senegal? A member federation on the ground can provide coaches, venues and local language, and keep the programme running long after the Games have left. Federations without a national member can still take part by sending coaches, athletes, equipment, volunteers or a youth representative.
Towards a formal partnership with Special Olympics
Alongside the formal programme, UTS held a series of meetings with partners across the week. Among them was a meeting with the leadership of Special Olympics International: Lou Lauria, Chief of Sport and Competition; Jon-Paul St. Germain, Vice President of Sport Development; and Maggie Brennan, Senior Manager, Sport Development and Sport (IF) Partnerships. The discussions focused on the next steps towards the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the two organisations.
The MoU would formalise a collaboration that began in 2018. Since then, UTS has supported and taken part in the Special Olympics World Games in Berlin and the World Winter Games in Turin, and Julia Govinden has taken part in several Special Olympics national athlete and coach congresses, learning directly from athletes and coaches. UTS consultant Ben Haack brings his experience as a Special Olympics athlete leader to help embed inclusion throughout UTS programmes.
In Dakar, UTS is working with Special Olympics Senegal and Special Olympics Africa to support the participation of young people with intellectual disabilities across its Youth Olympic Games programme. A formal agreement would build on years of shared work and make inclusion part of every young person’s sporting experience. The talks follow the three-year MoU signed between UTS and the Islamic Solidarity Sports Association (ISSA) in Taif on 12 September 2026, reflecting a growing network of partners committed to young people.
We thank the federations, Olympic committees and leaders who have supported the campaign so far. Their participation lays the foundation for shared learning and stronger protection across sport. For UTS, the true measure of progress will be the practical change that follows.
Get involved
Federations and Sport Organisations wishing to join the UTS programme at Dakar 2026: contact [email protected], or speak directly to Julia Govinden, Chief Executive Officer, United Through Sports.
Organisations wishing to sign the Declaration or learn more about The Line We Don’t Cross: contact Mission 89 at [email protected].
