July 03, 2023 | at FISU
Recently, Baku hosted the Seventh International Conference of Ministers and Senior Officials Responsible for Physical Education and Sport (MINEPS VII), which was attended by over 50 ministers and high-ranking officials and over 540 representatives from 124 countries and international organizations.
Hosted by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), this major global event aims to foster international collaboration and develop policies and strategies to promote physical education and sport around the world.
Accordingly, MINEPS VII focused on specific themes and resources, such as promoting sport for all, including people with disabilities, marginalized and vulnerable populations, combating various forms of violence in sport, promoting gender equality and social inclusion in sport, combating doping in sport and ensuring fair play, as well as defending the importance of sport in sustainable development and peacebuilding.
As an observer member of FISU, he was represented at MINEPS VII by Acting President Leonz Eder and Fernando Parente, Director of Campus Development and Health. In addition to hearing interesting messages from various countries and NGOs, their participation was intended to give them a better understanding of how UNESCO works in this sector, especially since FISU intends to send its application dossier to become UNESCO’s official NGO partner with consultative status.
FISU also held bilateral meetings with representatives of the Ministry of Youth and Sports, namely Farid Gayibov, Minister of Sports and Mariana Vasileva, Deputy Minister of Sports, and with the President of the University Sports Federation of Azerbaijan, Tofig Khanaliyev. In particular, they assessed the feasibility of organizing FISU activities in the country in the coming years.
“We also used our time in Baku to meet representatives of several countries and ask for more support and promotion of university sports in their countries,” said Leonz Eder. “In addition, we met with FISU partners from various NGOs with whom we are already working on some international projects and initiatives.”
The conference resulted in the Baku Declaration, which was adopted as part of the UNESCO Fit for Life sports program. This sports-based UNESCO flagship program aims to accelerate recovery from COVID-19, support inclusive and integrated policymaking, and improve the well-being of youth around the world.
Supported by global partners, Fit for Life uses data-driven sports interventions to tackle the interrelated crises of physical inactivity, mental health and inequality.
Through its Healthy Campus program, FISU will use “Fit for Life” as a new benchmark for universities around the world to implement and integrate this excellent UNESCO initiative.
The first MINEPS was held in Paris in 1976 and focused on promoting physical education as a fundamental right for all. Subsequent editions were held in Moscow (RUS) in 1988, Punta del Este (URU) in 1999, Athens (GRE) in 2004, Berlin (GER) in 2013 and Kazan (RUS) in 2017 .
