2014: Another Busy Year for ICSSPE

ICSSPE President Margaret Talbot reflects on what issues are coming up in 2014.

"There has barely been a chance to breathe since we completed the work of 2013 with a flurry of presentations in different countries, on the role of physical activity in health promotion; and on the role of science in the development of sport.  It is certain that during 2014, these aspects of ICSSPE’s work will continue, enriching and extending the partnerships we have developed during the last year.  

It is worth remarking again, that physical activity is now seen as central to strategies to combat overweight and obesity – and as a positive factor in a wide range of conditions.  Management of lifestyle is recognised to be crucial for good health.  Hence, ICSSPE has been pleased to work in collaboration with “Excellence in Paediatrics”, the Hellenic Nutrition Foundation, “Generation Europe” and a range of member organisations and institutes, to promote the evidence of positive impact of physical activity on public health.  

However, there is still a great deal of work to do, to ensure that all agencies recognise this.  In early January, the Overseas Development Institute in London published a report on the incidence of overweight and obesity in the developing world www.odi.org/futurediets.  While the focus was on the implications for future diets and food production, it is remarkable that the report failed to make even one mention of the role of physical activity.  The ODI report did underline the speed of the impact of overweight and obesity in the developing world, whose health care systems are often ill-equipped to cope with such rapid change – a point very clearly made in the “Designed To Move” report www.designedtomove.org .

ICSSPE’s co-authorship, with Nike and the American College of Sports Medicine, of “Designed To Move”, has further enhanced ICSSPE’s and many of its members’ work in this area.  During 2014, this work will be more focused and targeted on selected areas of the world; and it is hoped that ICSSPE members working in these areas will become involved in the strategic advocacy which is intended to shift policy towards promotion of physical activity.  ICSSPE will be working with the national and regional organisations and institutes in these areas to advance the advocacy work and influence policy-makers.

The work, too, on promotion of Quality Physical Education, will continue and develop.  Extra impetus has been provided by UNESCO’s determination to publish international Guidelines for Quality Physical Education, which should be available very soon; and by the Declaration of Berlin, the outcome of the MINEPS V Conference in May last year.  ICSSPE has already been involved in follow up regional meetings; and will be participating in further work to translate Declaration intentions into government action.  A further exciting partnership has resulted in a Working Group with the International Paralympic Committee, the International Federation of Adapted Physical Activity and the International Sport for Development and Peace Association, to take rapid action on issues affecting persons with disability.  Hence, one of its first tasks is to exemplify for children and young people with disabilities, UNESCO’s Guidelines for Quality Physical Education.

These intentions demonstrate ICSSPE’s continued commitment to its strategic priorities – Healthy Living Across the Life Span; and Quality Physical Education.  Its third strategic priority, reviewed during the ICSSPE Exectuive Board meeting in Tianjin in October last year to become “Ethics and Integrity in Sport and Physical Education”, is currently being addressed by members of the International Association for the Philosophy of Sport, which is scoping and defining it, to inform production of a work plan for this area of work.

The ICSSPE staff and President’s Committee are looking forward to another busy year.  During January, the President’s Committee and Editorial Board will meet in Berlin to take forward the work on publications, financial strategy and planning for the statutory meetings in Helsinki in June.  We look forward to working with all ICSSPE members during the year, and to seeing their representatives in Helsinki."