World Fair Play Day 2026 was celebrated in Rome, in the Koch Hall of the Senate of the Republic on 19 May 2026. The festivities were organised by the Italian National Fair Play Committee (CNIFP), led by President Ruggero Alcanterini and Vice-Presidents Ezio Bonanni and Renato Mariotti. CNIFP was also celebrating its thirtieth anniversary. Through Mrs. Maria Gabriella Mieli, the Universal Peace Federation (UPF) of Italy attended at the invitation of President Alcanterini. Mrs. Mieli is UPF-Italy’s Public Relations Director and Coordinator for Southern Europe.
Representatives from various institutions, the world of sports, diplomacy, business, and culture came together to reflect on the urgent need for a new ethical culture at the international level. Promoted by Senator Francesca Tubetti and with the motto "The Italy I would like, the Italy of Fair Play", the event transformed the capital into an important hub for discussion on the values of Fair Play as an educational, cultural, and social model. Participating, among others, were the Minister for Sport and Youth, the Hon. Andrea Abodi; the Hon. Federico Mollicone, President of the Capitoline Assembly Svetlana Celli; Mr. Alberto Improda, President of the NGO Overstep; Mr. Gherardo Casini, Director of the Rome Office of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA); Mr. Juri Morico, sports journalist; Ms. Rossana Ciuffetti, Director of Sport e Salute S.p.A.; Mr. Giuseppe Palazzo, Head of the Sports Diplomacy Office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Mr. Nicola Graziano, President of UNICEF Italy; Mr. Mario Virgili, Management Consultant; Mr. Fabrizio Fasani, Digital Business Entrepreneur; and General Federico Sepe. A message from the Minister for Parliamentary Relations, the Hon. Luca Ciriani was read by President Alcanterini.
The meeting addressed numerous highly topical issues, from the origins of Fair Play to the value of memory; from the proper use of information to the valorisation of female talent; health protection; the role of sport as a tool for education, inclusion, and social growth. Among the programme's highlights was the presentation of the "Cavalieri Fair Play" honours awarded to individuals who were a role model in ethical values and social responsibility, both professionally and personally. The recipients were: Mr. Giuseppe (Beppe) Dossena; Ms. Mariacristina Gribaudi; and Ms. Patrizia Sandretto Re Rebaudengo. The National Award for Ethical Merit was also awarded to Don Francesco Preite and Mr. Pasquale Vessa.
The Hon. Andrea Abodi, Minister of Sport and Youth, spoke about the importance of not limiting our commitment to just celebrating the day, but rather feeling an obligation to promote the values of respect and fair play every day of the year. To know that in recognising and feeling grateful for the passionate efforts of volunteers, their expertise and human sensitivity, we are educating ourselves in – among other factors - our behaviour, language, social interaction, and physical and mental well-being. We are all called to do something more in our daily lives by learning to value and respect life.
In his message, the Minister for Parliamentary Relations, the Hon. Luca Ciriani spoke about the need for sports to be accompanied by the values of respect, loyalty, and inclusion, without which there cannot be 'fair play'. These values, he continued, should increasingly govern the social and civic life of each one of us.
The Hon. Federico Mollicone, President of the VII Committee on Culture, Science, and Education in the Chamber of Deputies, talked about how Fair Play could not be limited simply to competitive conduct on the pitch. It must also guide public policies and national legislation on education, culture, and sport, the latter being a structural component of the nation's welfare and public health. Sport is a Constitutional right in Italy and its value on educational, social, and psychological health are well recognised. The Sport and Education Commission and the Government are working together to include this policy into the nation’s social and educational fabric. The Caivano model is one such example.
With this aim of reviving the ethical and educational values in sport, the Youth Games are going through a rebirth. Starting in the school environment, new generations are learning the values of mutual respect. Promoting Fair Play today means more than just defending it. It means ensuring the transparency of sporting institutions, monitoring the fairness of procedures, and promoting social models where mutual respect and overcoming one's limitations are the very essence of the activity. As written in the Charter of the International Fair Play Committee (CIFP), “Let us remember to be worthy in victory as in defeat”. This is a principle that applies to our lives as well as in sport.