Paris 2024 was no exception: at the Olympic and Paralympic Games, the action is not limited to the competition fields. Behind the scenes, the event is also marked by intense political and diplomatic activity.
As the host country, France took full advantage of this. Its ambassador for sport, Samuel Ducroquet, explained this to FrancsJeux.
FrancsJeux : Were the Paris 2024 Games, as expected and hoped, a fantastic opportunity for expression for French sports diplomacy?
Samuel Ducroquet : Absolutely. They were, from our point of view, a great success. First of all, because they helped to promote France through sport, which is one of the foundations of our activity and our sports diplomacy. The objective was achieved. The comments from our international partners were very complimentary, both on the organization and on the sporting aspect or on the enthusiasm surrounding these Games. A second marker is the very large number of high-ranking foreign dignitaries who came to France for the Games. Around a hundred Heads of State and Government went to Paris for the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games, and more than a hundred Ministers of Sports made the trip for the occasion. In total, nearly 500 missions of international dignitaries were recorded in France as part of the Games. Finally, another diplomatic highlight, the Games provided an opportunity to convey strong messages and advance priority issues, particularly during the Summit on Sport for Sustainable Development, held on 25 July at the Carrousel du Louvre. It brought together, around Thomas Bach and Emmanuel Macron, more than 500 guests, including around fifty heads of state, athletes, officials and representatives of civil society.
What happened behind the scenes, from a diplomatic point of view?
This is always the case, in Paris as elsewhere: the Games encourage bilateral exchanges and meetings. Paris 2024 was no exception, on the contrary. Emmanuel Macron received the heads of state at the Elysée Palace before the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games (photo above), and then again before the Paralympic Games. The same goes for Amélie Oudéa-Castéra, the Minister of Sports and the Olympic and Paralympic Games, who welcomed her counterparts. It is also necessary to highlight all the work carried out, also behind the scenes, by diplomacy to ensure that everything works. The mobilization, in particular, of the 170 liaison officers from the Quai d'Orsay who individually accompanied each sovereign, head of state or government during the Games.
The Paris 2024 Games were an opportunity for France to sign agreements with foreign countries?
Yes. They have especially been the framework for many concrete initiatives. At the Summit on Sport for Sustainable Development, the NBA announced the construction of 1000 basketball courts. FIFA followed suit with the announcement of a plan for 1000 football fields. And the IOC announced that it would increase the funds dedicated to Olympic Solidarity by 10%. The French Judo Federation took advantage of the Games to sign a cooperation agreement with the United Arab Emirates. And no fewer than 17 new organizations from the sports movement joined the United Nations "Sport for Nature" framework agreement in Paris during the Games.
The Paris 2024 Games were the first in summer, since Montreal 1976, to be organized in the French-speaking world. Did they help restore French to a better place in the Olympic movement? ?
We were eagerly awaited on this subject because it is obvious that, without the vigilance of French-speaking countries and the OIF, the French language would have lost its place within the Olympic movement. The use of French at the Paris 2024 Games was encouraged in advance of the Games, in particular by the ministerial delegation for the Francophonie of the Ministry of Sports, and by the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs, which increased the number of training courses, prepared guides, and welcome booklets to help foreign visitors make their stay a success. Many steps were taken. During the Games, Francophone stakeholders organized several events: the AFCNO (Association francophone de comités nationaux olympiques) met at Club France, a Francophone evening was held at Maison du Canada, etc. Several national federations of French-speaking countries came together. And we can see today that the Paralympic movement, where French is not an official language, is also taking up the subject.
What will be the next steps in French sports diplomacy?
The first step will consist of promoting internationally everything that has been undertaken and achieved during the Games. France has demonstrated real expertise in sporting events. It will interest future hosts. It must be highlighted and I will work on this as Ambassador for Sport. As proof, I would like to point out the meetings last week with the Egyptian Minister of Sports, or the Secretary General of the Indian Ministry of Sports, with a view to India's bid for the Summer Games in 2036. We must also promote the French companies that were involved in organising the Paris 2024 Games. Finally, we will ensure that sport continues to be a tool to strengthen ties with our partner countries. I am thinking of Senegal with a view to the Youth Olympic Games in 2026, but also Côte d'Ivoire, Cameroon, Kenya, etc.
On a more personal level, how did you experience these Games at home as the French ambassador for sport?
I was delighted to have been able to carry out this function in this unique context. The opportunity was exceptional. In concrete terms, my action was quite diversified. Before the Games, it was mainly a question of ensuring the proper coordination of the services involved in the "delivery" of the Games at the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs. After the start of the Games, I continued to meet the sports movement, on the ground. I met representatives of 35 foreign delegations during the Games, including Great Britain, Brazil, Switzerland, Japan, then a dozen during the Paralympics. In addition, there were numerous bilateral meetings to discuss cooperation possibilities, notably with the United States, Kenya, India and Bahrain. Finally, the Games also allowed us to organize the first international forum on sports diplomacy, in which Australia, the United Kingdom, the United States and New Zealand participated. A forum that will meet again in the coming months.
