UNESCO’s Global Sports Conference – MINEPS
Created in 1976, UNESCO’s Global Sports Conference – MINEPS, also called International Conference of Ministers and Senior Officials Responsible for Physical Education and Sport (MINEPS), is
- a forum that facilitates intellectual and technical exchange in the field of physical education and sport.
- an institutional mechanism for a coherent international strategy in this domain.
- the only global platform of its kind, engaging governments, intergovernmental organizations, the sport movement, academia and specialized NGOs.
Its outcomes and recommendations are continuously strengthening the educational, cultural, and social dimensions of physical education and sport while guiding the implementation of effective policies and practices around the world.
Seven MINEPS Conferences have been organized:
- Baku - Republic of Azerbaijan, 2023
- Kazan - Russian Federation, 2017
- Berlin - Germany, 2013
- Athens - Greece, 2004
- Punta del Este - Uruguay, 1999
- Moscow - Russian Federation, 1988
- Paris - France, 1976
UNESCO’s Global Sports Conference – MINEPS VII
marks an important milestone. It sets a foundation for constructing a comprehensive evidence base on the impact of sport that can be tailored to the needs and priorities of public and private investors. Capturing the environmental and social legacy of major sports events and capitalizing on the positive influence of top athletes, the conference has built a bridge between elite and grassroots sport, so that both can better deliver to improve the lives of people.
MINEPS also played a major role in
- the development of the International Charter of Physical Education and Sport (1978) - establishing the practice of physical education and sport as a fundamental right for all;
- the creation of the Intergovernmental Committee for Physical Education and Sport (CIGEPS); and
- in providing a key platform for the negotiation of the International Convention against Doping in Sport.
More on other MINEPS Conferences (I – VI)
MINEPS VI – Kazan, Russian Federation, July 2017
The Sixth International Conference of Ministers and Senior Officials Responsible for Physical Education and Sport, MINEPS VI, took place in Kazan, Russian Federation, from 13 to 15 July 2017.
MINEPS VI marked a shift from declarations of policy intent to measurable action, adoption an action plan, the Kazan Action Plan, which revolves around three main themes:
- Developing a comprehensive vision of inclusive access for all.
- Maximizing the contributions of sport to sustainable development and peace.
- Protecting the integrity of sport.
MINEPS V – Berlin, Germany, May 2013
The Conference was co-organized by UNESCO and the Government of Germany, represented by the Federal Ministry of the Interior (BMI), with the support of the International Council of Sport Science and Physical Education (ICSSPE).
The following key themes were proposed by UNESCO's Intergovernmental Committee for Physical Education and Sport (CIGEPS):
- access to sport as a fundamental right for all (women and girls, inclusion of persons with disabilities)
- promoting investment in sport and PE programmes (quality physical education, sport mega events)
- sport integrity (commitment to the values of sport and the fight against match fixing, illegal betting, doping, and corruption in sport)
Outcomes
More than 600 participants (Ministers, senior government officials, and key sport stakeholders) gathered in Berlin, Germany, in May 2013.
121 represented Member States unanimously adopted the Declaration of Berlin.
This text is the result of an extensive consultation process involving some 100 experts from governments, academia and the sport movement. The over 70 detailed commitments and recommendations call for
- Improved access to physical education and sport, especially for women, girls and people living with a disability.
- Increased investment in physical education and sport, recognizing their socio-economic benefits including impact on public health and social inclusion.
- Measures to safeguard the integrity of sport, notably from the fraudulent manipulation of sport competitions.
UNESCO’s Director-General was invited to present the Declaration and its Annex to the 37th session of the General Conference. A revision of International Charter of Physical Education and Sport was also recommended.
- Download the Declaration of Berlin
also available in French, Spanish, Arabic, Russian, Chinese, and Portuguese
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MINEPS IV – Athens, Greece, December 2004
- Aimed to respond to the need to give practical expression to the priorities defined by MINEPS III, and by the 2003 Round Table of Ministers and Senior Officials Responsible for Physical Education and Sport, around the following themes: promotion of universal and ethical values of sport, development of PES in education systems, and the need for equity regarding women in sport.
- As a result of the Conference, preparations for an International Convention against Doping in Sport were put in place.
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MINEPS III – Punta del Este, Uruguay, November – December 1999
- Aimed to translate into action the principles of the International Charter of Physical Education and Sport, the Olympic Charter and other international instruments;
- Topics included the contribution of PES to sustainable economic development, PES as fundamental element of the right to education and the process of lifelong education, and forms of cooperation and consultation in the field of PES at the national, regional, and international levels.
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MINEPS II – Moscow, Russian Federation, November 1988
- Reflected on the importance of challenges and dangers arising from the spectacular development of sport, at national and international levels;
- Focused on issues such as PES in schools and universities, promotion of sport for all, safeguarding sport’s ethical values and countering harmful influences (commercialization, violence and doping), and contribution of sporting values to society, peace, and mutual understanding.
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MINEPS I – Paris, France, April 1976, at UNESCO’s initiative
- Started a process of international cooperation for a strategy on physical education and sport (PES), considered an essential aspect of the right to education, a cultural dimension and a key aspect in the rounded development of individuals.
MINEPS Reports and Documents
- Kazan Action Plan, also available in French, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, and Russian
- Declaration of Berlin, also available in French, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, Russian and Portuguese
- MINEPS VI: Final Report, also available in Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian and Spanish
- MINEPS V: Final Report, also available in French, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese and Russian / Information Meeting Concerning the Preparations of MINEPS V - Address by Irina Bokova, Director-General of UNESCO
- MINEPS IV: Final Report, also available in French and Spanish
- MINEPS III: Final Report, also available in French and Spanish
- MINEPS II: Final Report, also available in French, Spanish and Arabic
- MINEPS I: Final Report, available in French
See also: MINEPS V Follow-up meetings
- 37 C/INF.16: Follow up to the fifth International Conference of Ministers and Senior Officials Responsible for Physical Education and Sport (MINEPS V)
- First follow-up meeting for Latin America and the Caribbean (Bogota, Columbia, October 2013): Communiqué, also available in Spanish / Final Report, also available in Spanish
- Second follow-up meeting for Latin America and the Caribbean (Montevideo, Uruguay, October 2014): Communiqué, also available in Spanish / Final Report, also available in Spanish
- Oceania UNESCO-ONOC MINEPS V Workshop (Suva, Fiji Islands, April 2015): Final Report
- International experts meeting on the fight against the manipulation of sports competitions (Doha, Qatar, September 2015): Final Report, also available in Arabic, French and Spanish
