As a permanent consultative member, Peace and Sport participated on June 15, 2026, in the regular session of UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Committee for Physical Education and Sport (CIGEPS). The 2026 session focused in particular on the ongoing process to develop “Global Policy Standards for Inclusive, Equitable, and Safe Sport and Physical Education.”
For Peace and Sport, this session reaffirms a deep conviction: it is through a collective, resolutely multi-stakeholder approach that we will be able to advance public policies and establish sport as a true driver of development and peace.
Safe Sport : ensuring a safe environment through training
Discussions focused extensively on the issue of safety in sport, highlighted by the presentation of the report “Toward Safe Sport: Policy Recommendations from People Impacted by Violence.” Peace and Sport commends the methodology used to develop this document, which placed consultation with victims and those directly affected at the center of the process.
This report reinforces a central tenet of peace through sport: the positive impacts of sport are never automatic. To serve as a vehicle for peace and inclusion, sports participation requires rigorous implementation conditions.
It relies above all on the ongoing training of educators and on appropriate pedagogical guidance, which alone can ensure a safe environment for all participants.
Breaking down silos in public policy : lessons from the Global Sport Policy Survey
The session also provided an opportunity to present the initial findings of the Global Sport Policy Survey (GSPS) conducted by UNESCO. This extensive consultation with national authorities confirms an absolute necessity: breaking down silos in public policy.
Development through sport cannot function in isolation. The data emerging from the GSPS underscore the urgency of strengthening mechanisms for intersectoral cooperation, particularly by creating sustainable synergies between the ministries of Sports, Education, Youth, Health, and Social Affairs.
Peace and Sport’s pivotal role : bridging the gap between the field and policy decisions
For these public policies to be practical and effective, they must be grounded in reality. This is where our organization’s role comes in: acting as a pivotal link between local communities and decision-making institutions.
Building on the lessons learned from the Peacemakers Project, Peace and Sport helps ensure that communities’ voices are heard in public policy-making processes. By promoting an approach based on the principle of “thinking with, acting together,” we encourage more inclusive ways of working that bring policy decisions closer to on-the-ground realities and respond more effectively to people’s needs.
Growing recognition of Sport as a tool for Peace education
A highlight of the 2026 session was the presence of UNESCO Director-General Khaled El-Enany, which sent a strong signal to the international community. This unprecedented participation reflects the growing attention that UNESCO Member States are paying to the role of sport. Far from being merely a form of recreation, sport is increasingly recognized at the highest institutional levels as a fundamental driver of peace education, resilience, and social cohesion.
Looking ahead to MINEPS VIII (2027)
The work of CIGEPS is forward-looking, culminating in the development of the “Global Policy Standards for Inclusive, Equitable, and Safe Sport and Physical Education,” which will be presented for adoption at the World Conference on Sport (MINEPS VIII) in 2027.
Peace and Sport reaffirms its commitment to contributing to the development of these standards to ensure they align with the needs and challenges of communities, and to ensuring their effective implementation on the ground.
