The IOC's agreement with UN-Habitat is set to initially target five cities in three continents ©IOC/Greg Martin

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has signed an agreement with the United Nations (UN) Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) to promote physical activity in urban environments.

It is the latest collaboration signed by IOC President Thomas Bach on his visit to New York City for the UN General Assembly, following on from a renewed partnership with UN Women.

Relations between the IOC and UN have appeared strong during Bach's Presidency.

The agreement with UN-Habitat seeks to promote initiatives strengthening the role of sports in cities, based on investments from both organisations.

Projects are set to cover integrating sport and physical activity into cities' analysis and planning, capacity-building of municipal authorities and sporting bodies, investment in urban sports infrastructure refurbishment and programming, and the creation of guidelines for integrating sport into urban development policies.

Implementation of this work is set to begin in November of this year in five cities across Africa, Latin America and Asia Pacific with a timeframe of three years.

Bach said the agreement showed the IOC's renewed commitment to the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

IOC President Thomas Bach insisted
IOC President Thomas Bach insisted "we have to bring the benefits of sport to where the people are" ©Getty Images

"From our longstanding experience of putting sport at the service of society, we know that we have to bring the benefits of sport to where the people are - this means in the cities and urban areas of our world," he commented.

"We are honoured to sign a new partnership with UN-Habitat to support SDG 11, to make cities more resilient and sustainable.

"With our Olympism365 strategy, the IOC addresses several of the SDGs at the same time: health, social inclusion, education, gender equality and many more."

The IOC President also claimed "an SDG city without sport is not a real SDG city".

UN-Habitat executive director Maimunah Mohd Sharif underlined the importance of the agreement with the IOC.

"With just seven years left to get the SDGs done, we must shift gear from walking pace to a sprint," she said.

"The SDGs are for everyone and need everyone.

"All stakeholders must join the race.

"The collaboration will not only demonstrate the importance of sport as an accelerator of sustainable development in cities, but will also demonstrate how impact is accelerated when all of society engages."