Initiatives

Since 2010, the European Union (EU) has been a key supporter of Special Olympics across Europe Eurasia, benefiting the fitness, wellbeing, health and education of hundreds of thousands of Special Olympics athletes across the region.

From supporting several editions of the Special Olympics World Games – most recently the Special Olympics World Winter Games Turin 2025 – to grassroots initiatives focused on health and sport, the EU’s has added significant support to our strategy in the region.

Proof of our powerful and growing partnership was once again in evidence at the inaugural Special Olympics European Union Day in September 2025. Almost 200 participants (Special Olympics athletes, coaches and staff) took part in over 120 meetings with Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) and high-level EU officials, including European Commissioners.

The Special Olympics Global Coalition for Inclusion, made possible by the Stavros Niarchos Foundation, is a multilateral platform that works closely with governments, private sector and global philanthropy to expand the reach and impact of inclusive education with Unified Schools® and Unified Sports®. It is a model that uses sport as a catalyst to foster cohesive classrooms and communities around the world.

The Global Coalition for Inclusion has rapidly expanded since its inception at the Special Olympics World Summer Games Berlin 2023, growing to 21 member nations so far, including seven from Europe Eurasia: Bosnia & Herzegovina, Gibraltar, Greece, Iceland, Kosovo, Malta and Montenegro. Others are Angola, China, Egypt, Ghana, Jamaica, Kenya, Mongolia, Panama, Paraguay, Philippines, Seychelles, South Africa, Trinidad and Tobago, and the United Arab Emirates, spanning a diverse geographical footprint.

Partners include the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), Lions Clubs International Foundation, Fondation Botnar, and textile brand H&M.

Unified with Refugees (UwR) is an innovative, global initiative led by Special Olympics that brings together people with and without intellectual disabilities (ID), particularly those from refugee and displaced communities, through the power of sport.

Since its launch in 2016, UwR has engaged over 10,000 participants – with and without intellectual disabilities – across the world.

UwR creates safe, empowering spaces where marginalized voices are heard, friendships are formed, and hope is restored. Through partnerships with organisations such as the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), Lions Clubs International Foundation, ESPN, UNICEF, and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), UwR continues to break down barriers of exclusion and build a more unified world.