| Partners and Events | No.43 January 2005 |
Sport For All 10th World Sport for All Congress Rome, Italy, 11 – 14 November 2004 |
Approximately 1,200 participants from 112 countries, representing sports organisations, governments at all levels, academic and community organisations, and United Nations agencies attended the Congress, organised by the Italian National Olympic Committee (CONI), under the patronage of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), in cooperation with the World Health Organization (WHO) and the General Association of International Sports Federations (GAISF). Declaration The participants of this Congress, in accordance with its theme of Sport for All as a tool for education and development urge governments and relevant public and private sector sport, health, education and environment organisations: to recognise that the need for Sport for All programmes, and to deliver real actions – particularly through partnerships – in, and for, communities across the world is now greater than ever to take into account, when developing and implementing sport and recreation policies, the following major considerations: Health lifestyle changes taking place around the world the fact that chronic diseases, particularly cardio-vascular diseases and diabetes, are now overriding infectious diseases as a cause of illness and death the higher proportion of death by non-communicable diseases in developing countries the increasing incidence of unhealthy and nutritionally inadequate diets around the world, due to either a lack of choice or the making of wrong choices the disease burden and health costs of physical inactivity, and global risk factors the adoption of the WHO Global Strategy on Diet, Physical Activity and Health by the World Health Assembly in May 2004 and the WHO recommendation for Move for Health by member States the significant public health benefits of increased physical activity and lifelong physical education programmes Social benefits the social benefits of community sport and recreation, including social cohesion and social skills, and increased sense of well-being the necessity to meet the particular needs of people with perceived disabilities Economic aspects the economic costs of poor public health and physical inactivity, including increased administration and infrastructure costs the need for special, appropriate programmes and policies for particular cultures and economies, particularly taking into account the lack of resources and opportunities in developing countries Environment the need for appropriate environmental policies and conditions, and for adequate indoor and outdoor space, to maximise the safety of, and opportunity for, community sport and recreation, and daily lifestyle physical activity and, accordingly, to increase financial, administrative and policy support and incentives for Sport for All and lifelong physical education in order to maximise the benefits to the population, including the social and economic development engendered by sport and recreation in the community. Further, this Congress strongly reaffirms the Barcelona 1998 Sport for All Congress declaration, calling upon all governments and voluntary organisations: to establish and strengthen partnerships in support of physical education to create an environment in which it is valued, and to implement actions to reverse the declining trend in physical education, especially in schools and expresses its concern at the lack of action since the 1998 Congress in response to the Barcelona declaration, and since the subsequent congresses in 2000 and 2002, particularly in regard to the promotion and development of Sport for All policies. This Congress also recognises that the Olympic movement, in acknowledging the importance of Sport for All actions, can play an important role in encouraging, supporting and promoting sport and recreation programmes in the community. The declaration by the United Nations of 2005 as the International Year of Sport and Physical Education provides an opportunity to all to make a real difference. This initiative challenges the United Nations and all affiliated organisations to move to real action and to focus on delivery of results. Finally, the Congress notes that the next World Sport for All Congress will be held in Havana, Cuba and will review progress in the development of Sport for All policies and actions. http://www.icsspe.org/portal/bulletin-january2005.htm Sport For All 10th World Sport for All Congress Rome, Italy, 11 – 14 November 2004