The Group of Friends of Sport for Development and Peace is an informal group of Permanent Representatives to the United Nations in New York. It serves as a platform to promote dialogue and encourage UN Member States and the UN system to integrate sport actively into their policies and strategies.

Members of the Group of Friends share national experiences and practices, exchange information and propose initiatives for its members and the United Nations system, for example joint ventures with internal and external partners and stakeholders.

The Group of Friends also acts as an informal consultation forum for United Nations General Assembly resolutions on Sport for Development and Peace. With a view to encouraging the implementation of these resolutions, the Group cooperates with the United Nations Office on Sport for Development and Peace as well as with the different United Nations funds, programmes and specialized agencies.

The Group of Friends of Sport for Development and Peace was initiated by the Permanent Missions of Switzerland and Tunisia to the United Nations in New York in January 2005, in the framework of the International Year of Sport and Physical Education 2005.

The Group of Friends is an open-ended group. It currently includes representatives from 45 Member States* and is co-chaired by the Permanent Representatives of the Principality of Monaco and Tunisia. The Group meets approximately every two months in an informal setting in New York.

* Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Brazil, Burundi, Cameroon, Canada, Chile, China, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Germany, Ghana, Greece, India, Indonesia, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Mali, Monaco, Morocco, the Netherlands, Norway, Pakistan, Portugal, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Romania, Russian Federation, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tanzania, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, United Kingdom, United States of America, and Zambia.