The Commonwealth Advisory Body on Sport have reiterated the need to prioritise the role of sport in education, gender and health work in the Commonwealth.
Youth members to join sports advisory group
22 July 2009
“Sport can contribute significantly to addressing the challenges of society” – CABOS Chair
The Commonwealth Advisory Body on Sport (CABOS) has recommended that its membership be expanded to 14 to include two Youth Caucus representatives for their perspective on how sport can be used to promote development.
At their annual general meeting which took place in London, UK, earlier this month, CABOS members also reiterated the need to prioritise the role of sport in education, gender and health work in the Commonwealth.
CABOS heard from the organisers of the 2010 Commonwealth Games and the Commonwealth Games Federation about how sport can be used to advance social and economic development before and after the event, which takes place in Delhi, India.
The group was officially launched in 2005. Its membership includes government officials, sports experts and athletes representing all regions of the Commonwealth.
Its core mandate is to identify and provide advice on policies which help ministers of sports deliver on wider development objectives. CABOS has been collaborating with the Commonwealth Youth Programme (CYP) since the Commonwealth Youth Ministers Meeting in Sri Lanka in 2008. It is currently moving towards linking more formally with youth policy programmes around the Commonwealth.
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Speaking after the meeting, Bruce Kidd, Chair of CABOS and Professor and Dean of the Faculty of Physical Education and Health, University of Toronto, said that sport inspires and engages young people, thereby playing an important role in breaking down barriers and addressing problems such as HIV/AIDS, unemployment and crime.
Professor Kidd, a former Commonwealth track and field champion, stressed the value of integrating sport into all areas of development. “What we see at major sporting events, such as the Commonwealth Games, is only the tip of the iceberg. There is a growing body of research showing that sport can contribute significantly to addressing the difficult challenges of society. It is not the only vehicle, but it has to be one of them.”
CABOS will continue to work with the CYP and its regional offices in Guyana, India, Solomon Islands and Zambia, to ensure that sport is used to support their development agendas and activities.
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