WBSC joins Sport for Refugees Coalition Statement ahead of Global Refugee Forum

The World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) has joined as a signatory of the Sport for Refugees Coalition Statement ahead of the Global Refugee Forum Preparatory Meeting (GRF PR) in 2025, reinforcing the organisation's commitment to using sport as a vital tool in humanitarian response.

The statement released today calls on governments, humanitarian organisations, donors and sports bodies to recognise and invest in sport as a key mechanism for refugee protection and inclusion. With forcibly displaced persons now exceeding 120 million globally, and deep funding cuts straining humanitarian aid systems, the Coalition advocates for sport to play a more central role in refugee response efforts.

The WBSC's signature reflects the confederation's demonstrated commitment to refugee communities through Baseball5 programmes operating in Jordan's Azraq Refugee Camp and Kenya's Kalobeyei and Kukuma camps. These initiatives have provided sport, education and psychosocial support to displaced young people, with the Azraq Refugee team participating in the WBSC Youth Baseball5 World Cup in September. The WBSC Statutes enable the participation of refugees in WBSC events and competitions.

WBSC President Riccardo Fraccari said: "Sport has the power to break down barriers and create opportunities for displaced communities. By joining this Coalition statement, we stand united in calling for sport to be embedded in refugee response frameworks as a strategic priority. Our work with refugee teams demonstrates what's possible when we invest in accessible sport."

The Sport for Refugees Coalition, established at the 2019 Global Refugee Forum, has grown to more than 170 members representing the full spectrum of the sports ecosystem. The statement presents five key calls to action, including incorporating sport across all pledging areas, supporting refugee-led organisations, expanding geographic diversity in low and middle-income countries' leadership and strengthening cross-sector partnerships.

The statement urges Member States and pledging entities to embed sport in national and local refugee response frameworks ahead of the Global Refugee Forum 2027, ensuring coordinated and equitable approaches to displacement that treat sport as an accessible mechanism for protection and inclusion.