‘No other agency has sought to spur concrete investment in sport for development and peace through a strategy of target setting, monitoring and evaluation in this fashion’ – CABOS Chair
The Commonwealth Advisory Body on Sports (CABOS) will meet in New Delhi, India from 7-9 February 2011 to drive forward key ministerial decisions on target setting, monitoring and evaluating development goals for sport.
The 14-member body was established in 2004 and meets annually to advise the Commonwealth Secretariat and member governments on sports policy -- particularly sport for development and peace.
Next month’s meeting comes four months after the Delhi Commonwealth Games, when sports ministers last gathered. The focus of discussions will be the consideration and approval of a work plan to implement the directives made by ministers.
Dr Bruce Kidd, Chair of CABOS said: “No other agency has sought to spur concrete investment in sport for development and peace through a strategy of clear target setting and transparent monitoring and evaluation in this fashion.”
Another issue to be discussed will be the growing concern about match fixing and sports betting.
Representatives from the United Nations Office of Sport for Development and Peace and the Swiss-based International Platform on Sport for Development and Peace have been invited to attend.
CABOS works closely with the Commonwealth Secretariat to integrate sport into development policy, with a particular focus on young people. Dr Kidd said the decisions taken in Delhi will significantly shape the work of the Secretariat over the next two years. Commonwealth sports ministers meet next in 2012 in the margins of the Olympic Games in London, United Kingdom.
Debbie Lye, Chair of the UN Working Group on Sport, Child and Youth Development and Sophie Beauvais, Director, International Relations, Australian Sports Commission, will address delegates.
Note to Editors:
Sport for Development and Peace means using sport as a tool to help realise international development goals, including basic education, gender equality, the reduction of non-communicable diseases and the prevention of HIV/AIDS, thereby improving the lives of young people, their families and communities. Sport is also about peace-building. It can be used to address some of the difficulties arising from humanitarian crises and in conflict and post-conflict situations.
Commonwealth Advisory Body on Sport (CABOS) 2011 Membership
Bruce Kidd (Chair), Canada; Beng Choo Low (Vice Chair), Malaysia; Richard Eccles, Australia; Dr Emmanuel Owusu-Ansah, Ghana; Sindhushree Khullar, India; Shri Injeti Srinivas (alternate member from India); Mike Fennell (Commonwealth Games Federation) Jamaica; Iammo Gapi Launa, Papua New Guinea; Louise Martin, Scotland; Lloyd Lazar, St. Kitts and Nevis; Leonard Thadeo, Tanzania; Kusala Kumara Fernando (Commonwealth Youth Caucus) Sri Lanka; and Shereene McMillan (Commonwealth Youth Caucus), Grenada.
