The Oceania National Olympic Committees (ONOC) hosted a lunch reception in Paris to celebrate sport and sustainable development as the Paris 2024 Olympic Games get underway.
The reception was hosted at New Zealand House at the Paris Mariott Champs Elysees in partnership with the New Zealand Olympic Committee on Saturday 27th July 2024, just one day after the Opening Ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Over a hundred guests joined the reception including Heads of State, Ministers of Sports, Ambassadors, Chefs de Mission, NOC Presidents and Secretary Generals and invited guests.
Under the theme ‘Radiant and Resilient: Advancing Sustainability, Unity and Prosperity in the Pacific through Sport, the event showcased and galvanised regional efforts to advance sport and sustainable development, and affirmed ONOC’s commitment to strengthening sport and government partnerships in alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals, 2050 Blue Pacific Continent and IOC Agenda 2020+5 strategies.
The reception was attended by HRH Prince Feisal of Jordan, Executive Board Member, International Olympic Committee, Heads of State from three Pacific Island Countries including His Excellency Sir Tom Marsters, King’s Representative to the Cook Islands; Ratu Wiliame Maivalili Katonivere, President of the Republic of Fiji; and Her Excellency Dame Cindy Kiro, Governor General of New Zealand along with Pacific Ministers and Senior Officials Responsible for Sport attending the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
The Oceania sporting family was also joined by Gunilla Lindberg, Secretary General, Association of National Olympic Committees; Andrew Parsons, President and Duane Kale, Vice President of the International Paralympic Committee; Witold Bańka, President, World Anti-Doping Agency; Chris Jenkins, President, Commonwealth Games Federation, and Andrew Liveris, Chairman, Brisbane 2032 Olympic Games Organising Committee.
During his welcome address ONOC President Dr Robin Mitchell said, “Together we need to weave the Sustainable Development Agenda and the IOC Agenda with national and regional development priorities to realise the potential of sport to strengthen our people, our communities, our economies and our nations. We are united by our Ocean, we are united by our culture, and today we stand united by the Olympic and Paralympic Movements.” he said.
The International Olympic Committee’s Olympism365 Commission, Auvita Rapilla, ONOC Board Member and Chair of the International Olympic Committee’s Olympism365 Commission highlighted the IOC’s announcement to increased Olympism365 funding from 2025 to 2028 to 650 million, notably that includes a 15% budget increase for programmes linked to advancing Olympism365 and will further support NOCs in their endeavours to strengthen the role of sport as an important enabler for the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Ambassador of New Zealand to France, Caroline Bilkey said, “Alongside church and family, sport is integral to the very fabric of Pacific communities and stands as a remarkably effective catalyst for regional development. Its prominent inclusion in the Pacific Island Forum’s 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent underscores its pivotal role in bolstering community resilience while fostering skill acquisition and enhancing remittances.”
Aotearoa New Zealand has a long history of supporting sport in the Pacific region. HE Ambassador Bilkey highlighted the recently launched Pacific Sport for Development Fund, which is currently open for applications to support initiatives that promote inclusive participation in sport, development of talent – including coaches and administrators – and the strengthening of governance and institutions.
Sport is an important enabler of sustainable development and a cross cutting policy area in the Pacific. Together we have great potential to harness the regional mechanisms and collective action to create lasting change for our Pacific people in physical activity, physical education and sport.
ONOC Vice President and Chair of the International Relations Commission, Baklai Temengil said, “The 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific adopted by Pacific Islands Forum Leaders allowed opportunities in the strategy to include specific references to sport under the ‘People Centred Development’ thematic area, and a regional collective action to “strengthen sport diplomacy, partnerships and leverage major sport events to maximise the contribution of sport towards Pacific regionalism”
“We are small big Ocean States and we can truly realize the power of sports and impacts as we continue to raise awareness, engage and invest resources responsibilities and measure validation. We must collaborate and accelerate our efforts with partners in our Governments, IOC and the Commissions such as Athletes Commission and the Olympism 365, UN partners, NGOs, regional partners and out own local communities and people.”
Athlete representative, Ryan Pini, swimming champion from Papua New Guinea emphasised the importance of athlete-centred approaches and celebrated ONOC’s efforts at putting athletes first. “The Olympic Games is the pinnacle athletes aspire to compete in. I was lucky enough to compete in Commonwealth and Olympic Games and I saw first-hand what it takes to make a champion – those 1 percenters are how to get through,” he said.
Whāngārā NZ Team Rōpū infused a powerful Māori cultural component throughout the official proceedings and the formalities concluded with a cultural item from the award winning French Polynesian dance group Hotu Rau Ori.
The reception builds on ONOC International Relations Commission’s collective action in the region since 2015 working with partners to position sport as a policy priority and advocating for sport within and beyond Oceania. These efforts are set to continue at dedicated sport side events alongside the upcoming 53rd Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting taking place in Tonga in August, and the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting that will be held in Apia, Samoa, in October.
Oceania’s Olympic campaign kicked off directly after the reception with the Rugby Sevens Finals session at Stade de France.
