Teams debate the power of sport at the Commonwealth Secretariat

Participants at the 7th Commonwealth Debate on Sport and Sustainable Development

A spirited debate, delivered by passionate sports and health experts, inspired powerful conversations among the audience gathered at Marlborough House, the headquarters of the Commonwealth Secretariat, and those gathered online.

The event was the 7th staging of the Commonwealth Debate on Sport and Sustainable Development, hosted in collaboration with the University of Edinburgh, on April 4th. The event looked whether sport should contribute to physical, mental and environmental health.

Each year, the Commonwealth debate commemorates the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace in advance of the day which was first recognised by the United Nations (UN) as 6 April in 2013. The UN-led theme for this year is 'Scoring for People and the Planet'.

One of the aims of the event is to bring attention to the contribution sport and physical activity makes to education, human development and healthy lifestyles, as well as in building peaceful and inclusive communities.

Commonwealth Secretary-General, the Rt Hon. Patricia Scotland KC, underscored the importance of sport to the development of the Commonwealth. She said:

"Sport lifts us up, raises our heart rates, inspires us, unites us. In many ways, sport is a Commonwealth characteristic – and we all saw that unity and purpose on display at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham last year.

Sport shapes, and reflects, our societies. This is a point which was recognised unequivocally by our Heads of Government at CHOGM last year, and by Sports Ministers in Birmingham."

The Secretary-General also thanked other stakeholders, in particular the University of Edinburgh who co-hosted the debate. She also acknowledged Anne Wafula Strike MBE, the Commonwealth Champion for Equality in Sports, for her continued commitment and advocacy to the sports sector.

The Commonwealth Secretary-General, the Rt Hon Patricia Scotland KC, delivers her welcome remarks at the 7th Commonwealth Debate on Sport and Sustainable Development.

Director and Chair of Sport at the University of Edinburgh, Professor Grant Jarvie, who also moderated the Commonwealth Debate on Sport and Sustainable Development, spoke about the collaboration:

"The University of Edinburgh is honoured to be invited to partner with the Commonwealth Secretariat in supporting this international debate which will amplify advocacy efforts and increase recognition of the contribution sport can make to some of society's most pressing issues.

Our research has highlighted it is clearer than ever that sport has the potential to be a powerful platform for addressing broad issues."

Two teams argued the motion, 'A compassionate sports sector should enable the charge for a healthy mind, body and planet.' After retreating to assess the arguments and performance of the teams carefully, the panel of adjudicators led by the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) determined that the team arguing 'for' the motion won the debate.

The winning team at the 7th Commonwealth Debate on Sport and Sustainable Development, — The team arguing for the motion won the 7th Commonwealth Debate on Sport and Sustainable Development. From left, Melissa Wilson, Co-Founder of Athletes of the World, Claire Poole, the Founder and CEO of Sport Positive, Commonwealth Secretary-General, the Rt Hon Patricia Scotland KC, and Dr Walker Ross, Lecturer, Moray House School of Education and Sport, University of Edinburgh.

The team arguing for the motion included Hon. Bakary Y. Badjie, Minister of Youth and Sports from The Gambia, Claire Poole, the Founder and CEO of Sport Positive; Melissa Wilson, Co-Founder of Athletes of the World; and Dr Walker Ross, Lecturer, Moray House School of Education and Sport, University of Edinburgh.

Professor Corinne Reid, Professorial Fellow with the Global Health Academy and the Academy of Sport, University of Edinburgh, was the first speaker for the team against the motion. Also on that team were Dr Ellen Barnie Peprah, Physician and Coordinator of the Commonwealth Health Youth Network, Hayley Jarvis, Head of Physical Activity at Mind and Dr William Bird, General Practitioner and CEO of Intelligent Health.

Anne Wafula Strike MBE, the Secretary-General's Champion for Equality in Sport, said:

"A compassionate sports sector is certainly a strong start to bringing all stakeholders alike to the table to tackle the barriers we face on our physical, mental and environmental health."

Mxolisi Sibanda, Climate Change Advisor at the Commonwealth Secretariat, spoke at the event to highlight how sport and climate policymakers and practitioners can work together.

He described how sport is both a contributor and an important sector for addressing the challenges associated with global warming. He said:

“Last week the IPCC gave us a reminder again of the evidence. The evidence says that we are at a critical juncture and we must act. If we do not act to address climate change, populations will be decimated.

“The Commonwealth is particularly at the forefront of this because 35 of the states within the Commonwealth are small island states. So this for them is a real danger.

“I believe that sport particularly offers us an opportunity. The platform that sport brings, the billions in funding and the economic engine that it drives, with almost projected US$700 billion of economic activity in it, we must bring that to the forefront of addressing the climate crisis.”

The debate was spearheaded by the Sport for Development and Peace team. The team supports member countries in their efforts to use the power of sport to deliver national objectives and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

The team supports member countries with capacity building mechanism, developing toolkits that enhance the contribution of sport to the SDGs, policy development, and interweaving sport for development into work being done by other teams in the Secretariat and partner organisations.