United Nations

Special Olympics athletes from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, and hosts North Macedonia showcased heart, determination and remarkable skill at the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)-supported Western Balkans Swimming Competition held in Skopje from 5-7 April.

Special Olympics Ghana hosted the first signing in the Special Olympics (SO) Africa Region of the Global Coalition for Inclusion with the Republic of Ghana on 27 November 2023.

Caribbean nation ratifies commitment to Global Leadership Coalition for Inclusion at signing ceremony in Kingston

Athletes, Unified partners, coaches and families from four countries came together at the flagship regional tournament in Tirana, Albania to spread the message that “everybody is important.”

Inclusivity takes center stage as football players from Special Olympics Andalucia participate in an exhibition match with refugees from the Seville Refugee Reception Center.

UNITAR has appointed the President and Managing Director of Special Olympics Europe Eurasia David S. Evangelista to the Advisory Board of its Division for Multilateral Diplomacy.

Video to celebrate Special Olympics volunteers during International Volunteer Day 2021.

Special Olympics partnered with Global Youth Mobilization at their first-ever Global Youth Summit where Youth Leaders from Special Olympics Latin America hosted a session on education for children with intellectual disabilities.

International Day of Sport for Development and Peace, occurring on 6 April, was created by the U.N. in 2013 to recognize the impact that sport can have on human rights issues. For 2021, the theme is resiliency—building back stronger and better.

In 2020, the United Nations marks 75 years of working toward “peace, dignity and equality on a healthy planet.” On United Nations Day, we celebrate the UN’s work with a look at some of the Special Olympics athlete leaders, from around the world, who have spoken before UN audiences throughout the years.