Sporting experts from across the globe discussed the vital role of the sector in helping countries meet the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) targets at an event hosted by the Commonwealth Secretariat.
At the halfway point of the ‘Decade of Action’, the Sport Development Network, supported by ConnectCIC, brought together leading voices from across academia, policy, and practice at its annual online convention.
Sport plays a significant role in sustainable development, with the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development acknowledging sport as an important enabler of the SDGs. Yet, despite significant initiatives worldwide, evidence shows that only a fraction of the global goals have been realised.
Addressing the theme ‘Beyond 2030: Converging and collaborating to strengthen sport’s contribution to sustainable development, speakers talked through some of the practical steps and solutions to the fast-approaching deadline.
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In their presentation, Dr Ben Farai Sanders, Executive Director of the International Platform on Sport and Development, and Dr Lin Sambili, Adviser in the Sport for Development and Peace team at the Commonwealth Secretariat, emphasised that, while “civil society actors are the true heroes of the sector”, at present there is “too big a gap between policy and practice”. Dr Sanders added that new research is not always necessary – better analysis of existing data on how and why sport can make a difference is useful.
Charting progress is a vital part of evaluating success, as Dr Lin Sambili shared:
“At the Commonwealth Secretariat we believe that tracking progress is key to ensuring successful outcomes, which is why we will soon be publishing our Global Sport and Sustainable Development Goals Impact Report. Our work focusing on three ‘P’s’ – producing policy, developing people, and measuring progress. Producing policy enables us to drive the agenda forward, and that is why it was so inspiring to hear the many contributions at the Sport Development Network's annual convention.”
Several high-level speakers contributed to the debate - Dr Lombe Mwambwa, Interim CEO at the Global Observatory for Gender Equality & Sport, touched on the need to measure the impact of sport at every level, from community to transnational, as well as gathering data to more clearly understand its contribution to areas such as development and peace.
Following the event Dr Claire Jenkin, Co-Chair of the Sport Development Network, said:
“Wow, what an amazing event! With our largest convention to date, the speakers’ content and lively chat discussions will without doubt, elevate colleagues’ critical thinking on sport’s contribution to sustainable development. We look forward to continuing being part of this conversation, using this event as a springboard for deeper discussions at our face-to-face conference next year.”
ConnectSport’s Managing Director, Simon Lansley, said:
"At ConnectSport CIC, we are proud to support any and all UK-based actors committed to strengthening the contribution of sport and physical activity to sustainable development. This was a brilliant convention with some insightful and timely interventions from a number of colleagues who have been championing this cause for many years. We look forward to working alongside the SDN to continue this important conversation.”
The Commonwealth Secretariat has long been recognised as a leader in helping countries to boost the positive role of sport in society. Staff provide expert advice and training to officials, help draft policies, and offer support for monitoring and evaluation. As demonstrated with this event, the Sport for Development and Peace team play a key role coordinating with international organisations, governments, and the sports movement.
Media contact
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Ben Maloney Senior Communications Officer, Communications Division, Commonwealth Secretariat
