The Milan-Cortina 2026 Games Organizing Committee and UNICEF Italy have signed a memorandum of understanding to promote children's rights togetherThis collaboration will be demonstrated for the first time on November 20, on the occasion of the International Day for the Rights of the Child and Adolescent. The "March for Rights" which will take place in Milan, will be dedicated to the importance of the right to play and will be part of the Milan-Cortina educational program, called Gen26.
“Playing sports, running, jumping, dancing, should be part of every child’s daily life everywhere. In an emergency situation sport is a fundamental tool which helps children regain a sense of normality and brotherhood, says Paolo Rozera, executive director of UNICEF Italy. We want the Olympic and Paralympic Games to remind us of the value of the rights of every girl and boy, the right to play, to do sports, to smile and to live childhood and adolescence to the fullest, important rights that are not always guaranteed to everyone.
This Memorandum of Understanding, which aims to implement training activities and awareness-raising initiatives able to disseminate the educational and social values of sport, will be valid until June 30, 2026. This alliance "reinforces our commitment to making the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games an opportunity for growth not only for sport, but also for society and culture, underlines Giovanni Malagò, president of COJOP. Through this Memorandum of Understanding, we aim to contribute to ensuring that every girl and boy has the right to play, inclusion and well-being, values that are at the heart of the Olympic spirit."
