Secretary-General Patricia Scotland was today welcomed to the Athletes Village to meet with Olympians and sporting officials, as she builds support for the Commonwealth’s agenda for development and integrity in sport.
Secretary-General Patricia Scotland was today welcomed to the Athletes Village to meet with Olympians and sporting officials, as she builds support for the Commonwealth’s agenda for development and integrity in sport.
As a guest of the International Olympic Committee, the Secretary-General is garnering support for her new initiative, Commonwealth Sport Integrity Champions, and taking forward the commitments made by more than 30 governments at the Commonwealth Sports Ministers Meeting last week.
On Tuesday, at the Olympic Park, Secretary-General Scotland visited the Olympic Truce Wall which serves a symbol of the unifying power of sport, and met with officials from an IOC-UNHCR programme in support of refugees.
Secretary-General Scotland said: “The Commonwealth message is loud and clear, and reverberating all around the Olympics. The benefits of sport must be enjoyed by all people, including disadvantaged communities and marginalised groups. Let us be inspired not only by elite sportswomen and men, but also leaders in our local communities.”
SG signs #Rio2016's Olympic Truce Mural, a symbol of the unifying power of sport: https://t.co/XXKGCa9eep #cwsport pic.twitter.com/PiwdhIrLr8
— The Commonwealth (@commonwealthsec) August 11, 2016
She added: “I am especially delighted with the response to Commonwealth efforts to promote and protect the integrity of sport. The Commonwealth Sport Integrity Champions, as role models, will raise public awareness about safeguarding sport and galvanise action to sustain its positive impacts.”
At the Commonwealth Sports Ministers Meeting last week, Commonwealth governments endorsed policy proposals put forward by the Commonwealth Advisory Body on Sport (CABOS), a group of independent experts, to protect against threats such as doping, match fixing and other forms of corruption, while introducing safeguards to protect children, promote equality and end discrimination.
Ministers also took the historic step of committing to align national sports policies to the Sustainable Development Goals, in order to gear investments in sport towards positive outcomes in health, education, gender equality and justice.
Since the ministerial meeting, Secretary-General Scotland has attended, on Monday, a special Commonwealth reception at British House, in Rio de Janeiro, extolling the virtues of using sport as way of delivering the Sustainable Development Goals. She met with National Olympic Committees from Commonwealth countries and United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
She has also met with l'Organisation internationale de la Francophonie Secretary-General Michaelle Jean, International Association of Athletics Federations President Seb Coe, Commonwealth Games Federation President and CABOS Chair Louise Martin, and former Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou, among others.
Read more about the Commonwealth Sports Ministers Meeting including the Ministers’ joint communique.
Ban Ki Moons message of peace resonated with all echoing commitment made by commonwealth Sports Ministers in Rio. pic.twitter.com/nYkvqho0OD
— Patricia Scotland QC (@PScotlandCSG) August 9, 2016
Featured Picture: Secretary-General Scotland with the Vanuatu National Olympic Committee and CABOS chair Louise Martin at a Commonwealth reception at British House, Rio de Janeiro
