Major Events

Commonwealth sports ministers have recognised the importance of major sporting events in wider government agendas and that the successful bidding for and staging of such events is an integral part of sports development at all levels.

The Commonwealth Secretariat is working with Commonwealth member countries to:

• ensure that knowledge transfer occurs from one Commonwealth Games organiser to the next;

• identify opportunities for sharing the broad range of knowledge and experience in relation to major events that exists within Commonwealth countries; and

• facilitate initiatives such as secondments and scholarships between individual Commonwealth countries to help build capacity.

The Secretariat, through its Sports Adviser, has worked with UK Sport and the Commonwealth Games Federation in taking forward this work and ministers endorsed the proposals set out in the Major Events update report prepared by the Commonwealth Secretariat for the 2006 Melbourne CSMM.

The Commonwealth Games Federation undertakes the transfer of knowledge between Commonwealth Games organisers through its comprehensive Commonwealth Games Transfer of Knowledge programme. For further information on this programme, please visit the Commonwealth Games Federation website at http://www.thecgf.com/

The work undertaken by the Secretariat in conjunction with UK Sport has focused on sporting events at the next level down from the Commonwealth Games and looked at ways in which the knowledge base for such events can be developed and transferred throughout Commonwealth member countries. A draft calendar of events based on information available at the time was produced as part of the report which lists events hosted by Commonwealth member countries from 2006 to 2010.

The Secretariat recommended in the report that the following work on major events be undertaken by Commonwealth member counties:

• encourage the use of resource materials produced by Commonwealth member countries to help organisers of events plan and organise events more effectively as a source of knowledge and good practice for other member countries, and notify the Secretariat accordingly in order that all information can be collated and shared throughout the Commonwealth;
• review the draft calendar of events, update as necessary and notify the Secretariat accordingly to enable the calendar to be up to date and complete;
• support the continued refinement and development of the calendar of events on a regular basis through the Secretariat; and
• provide practical co-operation opportunities between experienced countries and future hosts of major events.