Meeting in Senegal, the Organising Committees of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games and the Dakar 2022 Youth Olympic Games today signed a cooperation agreement that aims to contribute to the success of Dakar 2022 and share the positive impact of the first Youth Olympic Games to be held in Africa. The agreement also marks the start of a new model of international cooperation between Olympic Games organising committees.

Since launching its project, Paris 2024 has been steadfastly committed to organising a new kind of Olympic Games one that is more sustainable, responsible and inclusive That desire to put forward a new Games model has now taken on an international dimension.

In signing a cooperation agreement today, Dakar 2022 and Paris 2024 are delighted to come together in pursuit of a shared objective by contributing, in conjunction with the International Olympi c Committee ( IOC), to a new form of international cooperation between Olympic Games Organising Committees, one that uses sport as a driver of development The agreement signed today in Dakar by Paris 2024 President Tony Estanguet and Mamadou Diagna Ndiaye , IOC M ember and President of Dakar 2022 and the Senegal ese National Olympic and Sport s Committee CNOSS)CNOSS), in the pr es ence of the French Minister for Sport Roxana Maracineanu the French National Olympic and Sports Committee ( President Denis Masseglia , and Rémy Rioux , Chief Executive of the French Development Agency ( AFD), will see Paris 2024 become the coordinat o r of the Dioko/Dakar 2022 Alliance.

In conjunction with the IOC, Paris 2024 will thus have the responsibility of ensuring the coherence and guaranteeing the effectiveness of the actions taken by a “Team France” formed by a wide range of stakeholders : the AFD, the French Government, the CNOSF, the City of Paris, the Île de France Region, the National Institute for Sport, Expertise and Performance INSEP )), the International Association of Francophone Mayors ( AIMF and a number of sports federations. The aim of the agreement is to contribute to the success of the Dakar 2022 Youth Olympic Games, the first Games ever to be staged in Africa, and to ensure that the positive effects of the event are shared across the whole country, in areas such as education, diversity, access to sport, etc

Dakar 2022 and Paris 2024 now united by a cooperation agreement

The agreement seeks to optimise the organisation and delivery of both the Dakar 2022 Youth Olympic Games and the Paris 2024 Games. It covers different aspects including the sharing of expertise and best practice s in areas such as the organisation and delivery of the Games, legacy, brand strategy, environmental ambition, engagement and innovation. The agreement also focuses on communication and promotion in relation to both events.

The cooperation agreement is very much in line with the recomm e ndations of the IOC’s Olympic Agenda 2020, which seeks to b r ing committees together and engage them with one another, in order to collectively achieve an optimal organisation of the Games.

This agreement follows those signed between Paris 2024 and Tokyo 2020 in July 2018 and Lausanne 2020 in April 2019. It further demonstrates the very close ties that bring together the IOC, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and the host cities around a shared goal of coconstruction.

These cooperation agreements form part of Paris 2024’s international strategy and will be fo llowed in the coming months by further agreements with Beijing 2022 and Birmingham 2022.

Paris 2024, Coordina tor of the Dioko/Dakar 2022 Alliance

One of the essential aspects of this cooperation agreement is that it sees Paris 2024 become the coordinat or of the Dioko/Dakar 2022 Alliance.

The alliance stems from the goal of the many stakeholders involved in the Paris 2024 project to share their resources and expertise with Dakar 2022 and Senegal so that the Youth Olympic Games are a success.

France and Senegal are the first nation s to roll out this type of international cooperation, the coord ination of which involves various stakeholders and which seeks to make sport a driver of progress and development

This international cooperation takes the form of resources and expertise being made available in the following areas sports infrastructure (refurbishment and construction), elite sport talent spotting, training and preparation), delivery of the Games the sharing of experience and expertise), and legacy and engagement (structuring for the practice of sport, sports based employability projects, and the development of women’s sport).

As part of this Team France, the AFD, represented in Dakar by its chief executive Remy Rioux, will play a key role thanks to the partnership it has signed with Dakar 2022.

Dakar, the starting point for a strong partnership between Paris 2024 and the French Development Agency

This agreement with Dakar 2022 marks the start of a shared history between the AFD and Paris 2024. With its international experience and know how , the AFD will hel p share the legacy of Paris 2024 beyond our borders thanks to a cooperation agreement that the two parties will officially enter into at the end of 2019. It will enable the pursuit of a common objective in the service of development through sport around the world, in support of the achievement of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.

Stronger links between the Senegalese and French Olympic movements.

This was one of the priorities of Paris 2024 President Tony Estanguet and Dakar 2022 and Senegalese National Olympic and Sports Committee President Mamadou Diagna Ndiaye from the moment that Senegal was awarded the 2022 YOG. The signing of the Paris 2024/Dakar 2022 agreement will strengthen the already close links between the Senegalese and French Olympic movements. In particular it will allow Senegalese and French athletes to prepare in the best possible way for the Dakar 20 22 and Paris 2024 Games.

The presence of Souleymane Cissokho, the French Senegalese boxer born in Dakar and bronze medallist at the Rio 2016 Games, in the Paris 2024 delegation is a reflection of the desire to consolidate the ties between athletes from both countries and create more exchange and training opportunities.

Paris 2024 President Tony ESTANGUET: “It is a real pleasure to be here in Senegal today to embark on our partnership with Dakar 2022. We are delighted that Senegal is hosting Africa’s first ever Olympic Games and we are looking forward to working with Mamadou Diagna Ndiaye ’s teams towards a shared objective. We have a lot to le arn from each other. This cooperation agreement marks the start of an ambitious partnership between France and Senegal ahead of the Dakar 2022 Youth Olympic Games and the Paris 2024 Olympi c and Paralympi c Games. Aside from the sharing of expertise and the exchange of best practices, which is extremely valuable for both organisations, it has led to the creation of a new and ground breaking initiative called the Dioko Alliance. It is the first such initiative in conjunction with the IOC and France and Senegal are thrilled to be leading the way. Overseen by Paris 2024, the alliance brings together the French Development Agency , the French Government , the CNOSF, the City of Paris, the Île de France Region , the AIMF, the INSEP and a number of f ede rations. It aims to contribute to the success of Dakar 2022 and to share the positive effects of the YOG across Senegal , through d e velopment based on sport. I am delighted that this partnership with Dakar 2022 also marks the start of a shared history between Paris 2024 and the AFD, one of the mainstays of this alliance.”

Mamadou Diagna NDIAYE IOC member and Dakar 2022 and Senegal National Olympic Committee President: “Senegal and the Senegalese National Olympic and Sports Committee are delighted to welcome this important Paris 2024 delegation and engage in fruitful, friendly and participative discussions with the aim of forging a relationship that sets the seal on an alliance steeped in the essential Olympic value of solidarity. It reflects our shared desire to act in such a way that the actions we take are founded on an unshakeable belief in the total success of the fourth Youth Olympic Games, which Senegal will host on behalf of Africa in 2022. Dakar 2022 and Paris 2024 ha ve signed this agreement with that desire in mind . It should, as I have said in previous speeches, “help consolidate Senegal’s technical expertise, enable the experience acquired to be shared and create synergies that result in sustainable effects and imp acts The organisation of the Dakar 2022 YOG will provide a wonderful opportunity for the people of Senegal and Africa as a whole to show the rest of the world the genuine sporting and cultural potenti a l that the continent possesses.”

Rémy RIOUX, Chief Executive of the French Development Agency: “Thanks to the values it promotes, sport is a driver of growth , social bonds and gender equality and is essential to achieving the S ustainable D evelopment Goals. It is for that reason that the AFD has, under the leadership of the President of France , made sport one of the focal points of its actions and why it must work with the Senegal ese sport s movement in organising the first Olympic event to be staged on African soil. It promises to be a n outstanding sporting event, one that will offer economic and social opportunit ies for the African youth. It is a gathering central to the future of Senegal and the continent as a whole.”

Roxana MARACINEANU , French Minister for Sport: “French President Emmanuel Macron made a series of strong commitment s to Africa and sport during his speech in Ouagadougou. It is up to us to act on them and strengthen the cooperation between us. The fact that Senegal is welcoming the Youth Olympic Games in 2022 presents us with a magnificent opportunity. Sport acts as a wonderful link between continents and is an unrivalled driver of sustainable, social and cultural development.”

Denis MASSEGLIA, President of the French National Olympic Committee: “The staging of the Youth Olympic Games in Dakar in 2022 represents a superb opportunit y to help disseminat e the spirit and values of Olympism and also to use sport as a driver of economic and social development in Africa. The French National Olympic Committee is fully engaged in the Dioko Alliance , with the aim of harnessing the know how of the Senegalese and French Olympic movements so that it can meet the needs of people in Dakar , Paris and around the world and change their lives through sport. This emphasis on sharing, learning from each other and projecting a shared sporting and cultural legacy is vitally important. Drawing on the French speaking sports volunteers plan set up by the association of Francophone National Olympic Committees (AFCNO) in 2014, the CNOSF, CNOSS and Paris 2024 are working to ensure that young French people performing civic services in 2020 receive the best possible welcome from the CNO SS and at Dakar 2022. Other key phases will follow , among them the training of French speaking coaches in Dakar i n 2020 and the pr e paration s undertaken by Senegalese athletes, who will also receive the support of the AFCNO, which is doing all to can to mak e the YOG an event that will enhance the global reach of sport and the French speaking world.”