Leading sports stakeholders are set to gather in Australia ahead of next year’s Commonwealth Games to address policy issues such as the contribution of sport to the Sustainable Development Goals and the promotion of integrity in sport.
Ahead of next year’s Commonwealth Sports Ministers Meeting and Commonwealth Games leading sports stakeholders are set to gather in Australia to address key policy issues impacting member countries.
Among the topics outlined for discussion are the contribution of sport to the global Sustainable Development Goals and the protection and promotion of the integrity of sport and human in sporting contexts.
The annual meeting of the Commonwealth Advisory Body on Sport (CABOS), an independent body providing advice on sport policy issues to Commonwealth countries, will be hosted by the Australian Government held between 11-13 October on the Gold Coast, the location of the 2018 Commonwealth Games.
The meeting, which will see representatives gather from a wide range of ministries and organisations across the Commonwealth, will focus on three key priority areas:
- Measuring the contribution of sport to the Sustainable Development Goals
- The role of governments in protecting and promoting human rights in sport; and
- Adapting sport integrity guidance for the diversity of the Commonwealth
Louise Martin, Chair of CABOS and President of the Commonwealth Games Federation, said, “This year’s CABOS meeting will be an opportunity to not only discuss the key sports policy issues facing Commonwealth countries, but will also be a crucial juncture ahead of next year’s Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games and the Commonwealth Sports Ministers Meeting that precedes it.
“We chose the Gold Coast for the meeting because it will provide us with an opportunity to engage with leaders from the Commonwealth sport movement on key policy issues as well as visiting the Commonwealth Games venues, less than 200 days before the opening ceremony.”
Preceding the CABOS meeting will be a Commonwealth Sport Policy Stakeholders Roundtable which will include CABOS members, leaders from national Commonwealth Games Associations and a select group of strategic leaders of sporting organisations from the Oceania region.
Ollie Dudfield, Head of Sport for Development and Peace at the Commonwealth Secretariat, said,
“This will be the first time the CABOS meeting will include a roundtable with representatives and leaders from the Commonwealth sporting movement. This will bring together sports leaders, CABOS members who bring a governmental focus, and other stakeholders from sport and civil society to discuss the shared responsibility to protect and promote the integrity of sport and human rights in sporting contexts.
“This is an important development in the ever-strengthening partnership between the Commonwealth Secretariat, the Commonwealth Games Federation and the broader Commonwealth sports movement and are grateful of the support of the Australian Government and GOLDOC, the local organising committee of the Gold Coast 2018 Games, to support this initiative.”
