Every child should be able to take part in sport in a safe and healthy environment that respects their dignity and rights. This was the focus of the 19th Council of Europe Conference of Ministers responsible for Sport, held on 3 and 4 November 2026 in Monaco under the theme ‘Safer and healthier sport for all children’. Ministers and representatives from governments, sports organisations and civil society gathered to discuss ways of preventing violence and abuse against children in sport and of promoting their physical and mental health and well-being.
Monaco : a committed host country
For the Principality, the event was a first of its kind. The Conference took place during Monaco’s very first Presidency of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, from 15 May to 10 November 2026, for which the Prince’s Government had made sport and child protection two of its priorities. Opened by H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco, the Conference also provided an opportunity to highlight the Principality’s long-standing commitment to ethical, inclusive and safe sport. In introducing the afternoon session, H.S.H. Princess Charlène emphasised the responsibility of policy-makers and sports leaders, who are tasked with shaping the conditions under which children train and take part in competitions.
Young people at the heart of the process
Children and young people should not be seen merely as beneficiaries of sports policies, but as full participants in their design, implementation and evaluation. In May 2026, as part of the preparatory work for the Conference, Peace and Sport took part in a consultation with young Europeans organised in Strasbourg by the Council of Europe’s Enlarged Partial Agreement on Sport (APES). This initiative aimed to enable young people to share their experiences, views and recommendations, and to contribute to the development of measures to make sport safer and healthier for all children.
Peace and Sport supported this initiative through the participation of its youth representative, Robin Béchade, who is responsible for Programmes and the Label, thereby ensuring that young people’s voices were heard in the discussions. His involvement continued at the Monaco Conference, illustrating Peace and Sport’s commitment to ensuring that young people’s participation is not merely a one-off consultation, but an integral part of the dialogue and decision-making processes that shape the future of sport.
Working together to turn commitments into action
Protecting children and ensuring their right to safe and healthy sport is a collective responsibility. Public policies must be grounded in the realities faced by children and young people, and must be based on cooperation between governments, sports organisations, civil society and local communities.
As a member of the APES Advisory Committee since 2009, Peace and Sport attaches great importance to events such as the Ministerial Conference, which enable it to engage in dialogue with public authorities as well as institutional and sporting stakeholders, to exchange experiences and best practice regarding the protection of children in and through sport, and to help transform shared commitments into concrete solutions.
As it approaches its 20th anniversary in 2027, Peace and Sport will continue to work alongside public authorities, the sports movement and civil society to promote sport as a vehicle for peace education, inclusion and social cohesion, whilst ensuring that children and young people are recognised as key stakeholders in building safer and healthier sporting environments.
