Thomas Bach was in New York earlier this week. In his briefcase, the IOC President brought back a new partnership agreement with UN Women. Also initialled by Sima Bahous, Executive Director of UN Women, it extends an agreement between the two parties that began in 2012, and was first renewed five years later. According to an IOC press release, the two organizations will continue to “work together to optimize the value of sport in shaping social norms and achieving sustainable development outcomes that impact the daily lives of women and girls.” The new agreement will focus on three main objectives: promoting gender-sensitive policies, governance and investment; promoting safety and equal opportunities for women and girls to benefit from sport, physical activity and physical education, and preventing gender-based violence; and strengthening advocacy, communication, collaborative idea generation and knowledge sharing. In New York, Thomas Bach was accompanied by three female IOC members: Costa Rican Laura Chinchilla, Croatian Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović, and Saudi Arabian Princess Reema Bandar Al-Saud.
