English
EspañolTaking Stock of Physical Education and Sport
In January a UNESCO delegation was welcomed to Germany’s capital, Berlin to conduct a feasibility study of a bid to host the Fifth International Conference of Ministers and Senior Officials Responsible for Physical Education and Sport (MINEPS V).
The objective of MINEPS is to take stock of developments in physical education and sport worldwide. Participants come together to engage in discussions pertinent to reaching consensus that can inform new strategies and directions continually aimed at realising the principles of the International Charter of Physical Education and Sport, the Olympic Charter and various other international instruments.
UNESCO, via the Intergovernmental Committee for Physical Education and Sport (CIGEPS), has identified three themes for the MINEPS V agenda as follows:
- Sport as a fundamental right for all;
- Promoting investment in sport and physical education; and
- Preserving the integrity of sport.
As one of the 18 member states of CIGEPS, Germany and its sporting community (including the Federal Ministry of the Interior and its Sports department and EU international sports affairs section, the Berlin Senate department for the Interior and Sport, the Standing Conference of Sport Ministers, the Sports Committee of the German Parliament and the German Olympic Sports Confederation) is in full support of the themes UNESCO has identified.
ICSSPE considers the conference themes to be highly relevant to the major issues which currently exist in advancing both sport and physical education throughout the world today; especially in developing nations. With the ability to contribute content from the scientific context, as well as draw on and advocate a broad range of multidisciplinary perspectives from within its membership base, ICSSPE is excited about the prospect of playing a role in the success of MINEPS V. UNESCO expects to announce a decision regarding the bidding process in early March 2012.
If the German bid is successful the ICSSPE is likely to play a key role in the preparation and implementation of the event; scheduled for the summer of 2013. Both UNESCO and the German Federal Ministry of the Interior (BMI) welcome this in light of ICSSPE’s formal associations with UNESCO and its advisory function to the Federal Ministry of the Interior. In addition ICSSPE headquarters are ideally located in Berlin; the proposed conference location.