Sport has united and inspired us like nothing else over the past century. From football matches between German and British troops during WWI to North and South Korean athletes marching together during the 2000 Olympics -- sport has been a means of demonstrating peace and shared values. When the attacks hit Paris in November, people drew comfort from the football shirts of Paris Saint-Germain which read 'Je Suis Paris.' It was a statement that could unite a heartbroken nation.
Yet sport's unique role in bringing together factious nations and creating a shared identity is in danger. Corruption and scandal has dogged many of its elite institutions. From fraud at FIFA to the failed drug tests of Russian athletes, many viewers now wonder if they can really believe what they see. Or ever know what the true cost of a sporting event really was.
This is especially troubling as it is particularly children who look to sport for inspiration. For them it is critical that athletes and sports organisations are "doing the right thing."
International sport has a long way to go to regain the public's trust -- bribery, money laundering and lax regulation has let its supporters down.
But sport cannot and should not do it alone.
The immensity and complexity of the challenges it faces would overwhelm any single institution.
Sports needs a new alliance of actors willing to help find solutions to the challenges it faces -- organisations with the legal and technical capabilities in financial regulation, anti-corruption and governance. Working together with the sports industry and key stakeholders this has the potential to bring transparency and integrity back to sport. It will require collaboration between different sectors; non-profits, governments, international authorities and the private sector, as sponsors and supporters, to create this much-needed change.
In October, I joined a meeting organised by the International Centre of Sport Security (ICSS). They brought together experts from universities, governments, NGOs and private sector companies to create what they termed "a coalition of the willing" to demand and help enact higher standards in sports. One thing that did jump out to me was their emphasis on the role that private-public partnerships could play in tackling some of the challenges facing sport. Business has many of the skills and experience needed to fix some of the more intractable difficulties; regulation, anti-fraud and increased transparency.
It is clear to me that business cannot stand on the side lines as international sports' reputation is tarnished. To counter the excesses in the system we need to both demand a better governed system and to play our part in creating it. Indeed business is already coming together to on this. The World Economic Forum's (WEF) Partnering Against Corruption Initiative (PACI), a WEF collective of more than 100 companies collaborating for a more transparent global business environment, is looking into corruption in sport. I and other members of the initiative will be addressing sport and corruption at WEF's annual meeting in Davos.
International sports has been damaged in recent years, but not irrevocably so. If all sectors work together it will be possible for sport to fulfill its promise; to unite and inspire people of all nations.
This post is part of a series produced by The Huffington Post and The World Economic Forum to mark the Forum's Annual Meeting 2016 (in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland, Jan. 20-23). The Forum's Strategic Partner community comprises a select group of leading global companies representing diverse regions and industries that have been selected for their alignment with the Forum's commitment to improving the state of the world. Read all the posts in the series here.