Sheikh Joaan attends Olympic Refuge Foundation's Annual Board Meeting
Tribune News Network
Lausanne
H.E. Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani, President of the Qatar Olympic Committee and a member of the Board of the Olympic Refuge Foundation (ORF), attended in the Foundation's Annual Board Meeting held on Monday at the Olympic House in Lausanne, Switzerland. The meeting took place on the sidelines of the Olympism365 – Sport for a Better World Summit, hosted by the International Olympic Committee to strengthen the role of sport in advancing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
The meeting was chaired by H.E. Dr. Thomas Bach, President of the International Olympic Committee and Chair of the ORF and H.E. Filippo Grandi, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, alongside fellow ORF Board Members.
During the meeting, members reviewed the ORF's 2024 Annual and Financial Reports, discussed the 2025 operational plan, and endorsed the Foundation's 2025–2030 strategic framework. The board also explored opportunities to expand sport-based programs for refugees and youth in host communities and adopted important decisions regarding the future of the Foundation's global initiatives.
Sheikh Joaan's participation reflects Qatar's commitment to support the ORF efforts as the QOC has played an active role in supporting the ORF's work across strategic, financial, and operational dimensions—including hosting the Refugee Olympic Team ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Games.Qatar also has delivered targeted sports and humanitarian programs for displaced Palestinian and Afghan youth and hosted the ORF Board Meeting in Doha in April 2024.
Qatar's initiatives and its continued support for the ORF have contributed to the implementation of 14 sports programs across 10 countries, providing thousands of young refugees with the opportunity to engage in sport within safe environments. These efforts have contributed to the development of essential life skills and have positioned sport as an effective tool for empowerment and social cohesion in host communities.
On the occasion, Sheikh Joaan reaffirmed the Qatar Olympic Committee's deep commitment to supporting refugee athletes and promoting sport as a tool for peace and social cohesion. He emphasized the importance of Olympic partnerships in broadening the humanitarian impact of sport across the globe.
He further noted that Qatar's experience in leveraging sport to support humanitarian causes offers a practical model that can be expanded and enhanced. He reiterated the QOC's readiness to continue working with international partners to scale joint initiatives and create safe spaces where refugee children and youth can access sport and integrate meaningfully into their new communities.
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