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EspañolICSSPE Engages in EPAS Annual Meetings and “Sport for All” Launch Event
ICSSPE
20/05/2025 11:04
From 14 to 15 May 2025, ICSSPE took part in the annual plenary meetings of the Enlarged Partial Agreement on Sport (EPAS), held at the Council of Europe’s Palais de l’Europe in Strasbourg. As a Consultative Committee member, ICSSPE joined fellow members in discussions on key developments in European sport policy, including:
- Implementation of the European Sports Charter
- Preparations for the 2025 Diversity Conference and the 19th Conference of Ministers Responsible for Sport (Monaco, 2026)
- Finalisation of Guidelines on safer recruitment in sport
- Governance matters, including the election of new Bureau members for both the Governing Board and the Consultative Committee
The meetings also marked the election of Guido Battaglia (Centre for Sport and Human Rights) to the Bureau of the Consultative Committee, reflecting a continued focus on rights-based approaches in sport.
ICSSPE Executive Director Speaks at “Sport for All” Launch Event
Following the EPAS meetings, ICSSPE Executive Director Patrick Stolpmann participated as a panelist at the high-level launch of the Council of Europe’s new initiative: “Sport for All: Promoting Inclusion and Combating Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities.” The half-day event was held on 15 May 2025, combining in-person and online participation, and featured voices from across the sport, human rights, and disability inclusion sectors.
Patrick joined the panel titled “Best Practices at International Level,” sharing ICSSPE’s perspective and best practices on making sport more inclusive at all levels, and showcased some of the amazing tools we have developed around this topic. He was joined by leaders from the European Paralympic Committee, TAFISA, and Special Olympics Malta, offering a global perspective on how sport can drive equity and belonging.
The “Sport for All” event included highlights such as:
- A blind football demonstration on the lawn of the Palais de l’Europe
- Testimonies from top athletes, including Yaroslav Denysenko (Ukraine), Gizem Girişmen (Turkey) and Arnaud Assoumani (France)
- A panel on empowering grassroots and elite-level sport organisations
- Presentations from national and international stakeholders on best practices
ICSSPE remains dedicated to supporting inclusive, rights-based sport policy across Europe and beyond. These two events reaffirmed the vital importance of multilateral collaboration, athlete representation, and data-informed strategies in building a sport landscape that serves all members of society.