Representatives of Rio de Janeiro’s bid to host the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games took part this week in two United Nations events. In Nairobi, Kenya, Rio 2016’s sport director, Agberto Guimarães, participated in a meeting of the governing council of the UN’s Human Settlements Program (UN-HABITAT). Meanwhile, in Vancouver, Canada, the Brazilian Olympic Committee’s director for education and culture, Christiane Paquelet, represented Rio 2016 at the World Conference on Sport and the Environment organized jointly by the IOC and the UN.

The UN-HABITAT meeting brought together representatives from 101 countries to discuss urban development in times of economic crisis and global warming. As well as participating at the event, Mr. Guimarães met with government leaders, such as Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga, to discuss the Rio 2016 plans. “The Prime Minister showed great interest in Rio’s bid. We talked about the Olympic Training Center, which as well as helping to develop sport in Latin America, will also be open to athletes from Africa. Holding the 2016 Olympics in Rio would be an opportunity for thousands of young people to use sport to transform their lives,” explained Mr. Guimarães.

Every two years, the International Olympic Committee, in partnership with the United Nation’s Environment Program, holds the World Conference on Sport and the Environment. This year’s conference was themed on “Innovation and Inspiration,” with a sub-theme of “Harnessing the Power of Sport for Change.”

“One of the objectives of the Rio 2016 bid is to use the Olympic Games as a catalyst for projects that improve the quality of life of the city’s residents and visitors. I have learned a lot and heard some interesting opinions at this important event, it is very important for us to participate in such an important event,” said Christiane Paquelet.