Thursday 15 May at 2:30 PM
Room 9, Palais de l’Europe
 

[Welcome participants to the launch event of the joint EU-COE project “Sport For All: Promoting Inclusion and Combating Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities”.]

• Today, we speak about sport, and also about potential transformation - about how sport can help open doors, contribute to reducing stereotypes and make a difference when it comes to building a world where every individual can thrive, irrespective of ability.
• Sport can be a powerful engine of inclusion and dignity. This is particularly true when it comes to the lives of persons with disabilities, as we will hear from the accomplished athletes speaking as part of the first panel of this afternoon’s session.
• Across the globe, 1.3 billion people - about 1 in 6 -live with some form of disability — that is 16% of the global population (with a comparable figure of 15% in Europe).
• Too often they face exclusion from education, employment, and public life. Sport has the power to challenge that reality - not just by including, but by empowering.
• Let me mention the example of Théo Curin, a French swimmer who had all four limbs amputated at the age of six. Not only did he return to the water - he conquered it and went on to become a world-class Paralympic athlete. In Theo 2021 swam across Lake Titicaca - a distance of 122 kilometres - without assistance. This achievement was physical, as well as being highly symbolic.
• But while symbolism matters, what we need is to ensure inclusive physical education in schools, funding for adaptive infrastructures, equipment and transportation, and training coaches on inclusive practices for working with athletes of all abilities. Partnerships between governments, sport organisations, civil society and athletes can help break down any barriers.
• Inclusion through sport is not purely anecdotal. According to the International Paralympic Committee, 90% of persons with disabilities who play sports say it improves their self-esteem, and over 60% say it helps them feel more accepted in society. Employment rates are also two to three times higher among disabled persons who are physically active. Statistics show that Paralympic athletes are twice as likely to be employed compared to the general population of persons with disabilities. Why? Because sport helps build resilience, discipline, and visibility - qualities that employers value and which help candidates who are facing a competitive job market.
• When a young person in a wheelchair discovers basketball, it is not just about the game – it is about confidence, identity, and belonging.
• In Ukraine, where the number of veterans and persons with disabilities has risen dramatically following Russia’s war of aggression, sport provides a supportive and respectful space for reintegration into society, beyond physical rehabilitation.
• The Paralympic Games have helped transform global perceptions.  Paris 2024 brought thousands of elite athletes from more than 180 countries competing in 22 sports disciplines, from wheelchair fencing at the Grand Palais to blind football at the Eiffel Tower. Millions of tickets were sold, a record for the Paralympics. That is not just inclusion – it is visibility on one of the world’s biggest stages.
• But our work is far from done. Inclusion through sport is not a gesture. It is one of the key pillars of the European Sports Charter of the Council of Europe.  It is about creating a world where everyone can play, everyone can compete, and everyone can belong.
• The Reykjavík Declaration adopted in May 2023 reaffirms that “[d]ignity and equality are the foundation of modern European societies.” with European leaders acknowledging “the need to ensure equality and combat any kind of discrimination, as well as the important role the Organisation plays in this regard.” The Council of Europe Strategy on the rights of persons with disabilities (2017-2023) enabled the setting in motion priority areas in this respect. We are therefore very pleased that this new joint project will reinforce inclusion, with the specific aim of making sport for all a reality.
• I wish to extend my particular thanks to the athletes, experts, and sport organisations present here for sharing their experiences and expertise, and to wish everyone a fruitful and inspiring event.