MINEPS
International Conference of Ministers and Senior Officials Responsible for Physical Education and Sport (MINEPS)
International Conference of Ministers and Senior Officials Responsible for Physical Education and Sport (MINEPS) is a forum that facilitates intellectual and technical exchange in the field of physical education and sport and serves as an institutional mechanism for a coherent international strategy in this domain.
It is the only global platform of its kind, engaging governments, intergovernmental organizations, the sport movement, academia and specialized NGOs. The outcomes and recommendations of MINEPS are continuously strengthening the educational, cultural and social dimensions of physical education and sport while guiding the implementation of effective policies and practices around the world.
MINEPS conferences have been organized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) since 1976:
1976 — MINEPS I in Paris (France)
1988 — MINEPS II in Moscow (Russia)
1999 — MINEPS III in Punta del Este (Uruguay)
2004 — MINEPS IV in Athens (Greece)
2013 — MINEPS V in Berlin (Germany)
2017 — MINEPS VI in Kazan (Russian Federation)
About MINEPS VI
The Sixth International Conference of Ministers and Senior Officials Responsible for Physical Education and Sport (MINEPS VI) will be held at the Korston Club Hotel, Kazan, Russian Federation, from 13 to 15 July 2017.
MINEPS VI is being prepared by a Programme Committee and an Organizing Committee. The Programme Committee, responsible for preparing the conference programme, is composed of UNESCO, the Ministry of Sport of the Russian Federation, the Chair of the Intergovernmental Committee for Physical Education and Sport (CIGEPS), the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), the International Association of Sport for All (TAFISA) and the International Council of Sport Science and Physical Education (ICSSPE).
The Organizing Committee is headed by Vitaly Mutko, Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation, and includes the authorities of federal and regional bodies of executive powers.
It is expected that MINEPS VI will bring together ministers and senior officials responsible for physical education and sport representing 195 UNESCO member states, as well as representatives of involved international sports organizations.
MINEPS VI is intended to take stock of global developments in sport and to formulate strategic issues in international sport policy, with special reference to UNESCO's International Charter of Physical Education, Physical Activity and Sport, and Declaration of Berlin, adopted by MINEPS V in 2013.
MINEPS VI is expected to mark a shift from declarations of policy intent towards measurable action. Consequently, rather than adopting another declaration, the conference is devoted to agree on a plan of actions to which the ministers commit.
In this regard, the presence at the Conference of senior officials of sports industries from all over the world, who shall endorse the final document by consensus, is of high importance. Therefore, the Russian Federation has undertaken a committment to cover the expenses of participation in MINEPS VI of sport ministers of the 50 least-developed countries.
Pursuant to Resolution 38C/47, a common framework for the international follow up to the Declaration of Berlin and the International Charter will be developed. As this common framework is expected to serve as a unified, international reference for orienting policy makers, especially, public sport authorities and the sport movement, it will also need to reflect the sustainable development goals (“SDGs”, Agenda 2030), that recognize the role of sport as “an important enabler of sustainable development”.
The following SDGs are particularly relevant:
- Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all, at all ages;
- Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all;
- Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls;
- Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all;
- Reduce inequality within and among countries;
- Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable;
- Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels.
Main themes and sub-topics of MINEPS VI
The Conference agenda is structured around three main themes, including specific sub-topics that will be further specified during the preparatory process:
Theme I:Developing a comprehensive vision of inclusive access for all, including
national sport strategies and plans; the cooperation between public authorities, sports organizations and other stakeholders; gender equality; non-discrimination; quality physical education.
Theme II:Maximizing the contributions of sport to sustainable development and peace, including physical activity and health; social inclusion; values and civic education; youth empowerment; national cohesion; urban planning; indigenous & traditional games; sport in post-conflict settings; major sport events; sport & ecology/climate change; sport and economic development.
Theme III:Protecting the integrity of sport, including good governance of sports organizations; fight against the manipulation of sports competitions; fight against doping; protection of participants, spectators and workers; child protection; fight against sexual exploitation and misconduct; prevention education and awareness rising.
Kazan Action Plan is considered to be an outcome document of MINEPS VI that includes five actions:
1. Elaborate an advocacy tool presenting evidence-based arguments for investments in physical education, physical activity and sport;
2. Develop common indicators for measuring the contribution of physical education, physical activity and sport to prioritized SDGs and targets;
3. Develop a comprehensive set of international guiding principles orienting sport ministers’ interventions in the field of sport integrity (in correlation with the International Convention Against Doping in Sport);
4. Conduct a feasibility study on a Global Observatory for Women, Sport, Physical Education and Physical Activity;
5. Develop a clearinghouse for sharing information according to the sport policy follow-up framework developed for MINEPS VI;
The draft Kazan Action Plan is forwarded to all concerned stakeholders by the UNESCO Secretariat and is currently under discussion at the level of national sport authorities around the world.
In compliance with the bid submitted to UNESCO in September, 2016, to host the the Sixth International Conference of Ministers and Senior Officials Responsible for Physical Education and Sport (MINEPS VI), «the Ministry of Sport of the Russian Federation shall support the implementation of the articles of the mentioned Action Plan in every possible way».
At the same time the implementation of the mentioned actions is impossible without collective work of national sports governing bodies and international sport organizations that is coordinated by UNESCO.
Annex:
1. Draft Kazan Action Plan.
2. Provisional Programme of MINEPS VI.
3. Invitation to the Sixth International Conference of Ministers and Senior Officials Responsible for Physical Education and Sport (MINEPS VI) forwarded to Sports Ministers throughout the world on behalf of Irina Bokova, UNESCO Director-General.
For reference
Physical education and sport in the Russian Federation
Development of physical education and sports is a top priority of the country’s social policy. The Russian government has launched sport federal target programmes aimed at developing both high-performance and grassroots sport, modernizing children’s sports schools and providing them with equipment and gear, creating regional centres for sports reserve development, and constructing budget-friendly sports venues that will provide Russian citizens with the opportunity to practice sports.
Russia annually hosts a number of major grassroots sports activities, such as the Cross-Country Race of the Nation, Ski Track of Russia, Golden Puck and Leather Ball, as well as Spartakiades for different groups of population – students, young people, working teams, disabled people and retirees. Compared with the year 2008, the share of population regularly practicing physical activities and sports increased twice and reached 43 million people.
On September 1, 2014, the Russian government launched implementation of the Russian National GTO (the Russian acronym for the ‘Ready for Labour and Defence’ slogan) Health and Fitness Programme, or the GTO complex. The complex consists of standards for the physical development and preparedness of people across various age groups. Since the signing of the executive order on revival of the GTO complex, up to 700,000 people took GTO tests, and almost half of them passed them and were awarded gold, silver and bronze badges for meeting standards.
In view of positive social benefits of hosting sporting events such as development of sports infrastructure, promotion of healthy lifestyles and engagement of different groups of society in sports, the federal government invests considerable efforts in the delivery of major international events in Russia. This was evidenced by successful implementation of a whole number of high-profile sports projects: the 27th Summer Universiade (2013) in Kazan, the Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games (2014) in Sochi, the 16th FINA World Aquatics Championships and 16th FINA World Masters Championships (2015) in Kazan, and the IIHF Ice Hockey World Championships (2016) in Moscow. Even more, in 2017 the FIFA Confederations Cup will be held in Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Sochi and Kazan, and in 2018 eleven Russian cities will play host to the FIFA World Cup.
In October 2015, Russia submitted a bid to host the Sixth International Conference of Ministers and Senior Officials Responsible for Physical Education and Sport (MINEPS VI). Russia’s bid was approved on February 9, 2016. The sports capital of the Russian Federation, Kazan (Republic of Tatarstan), was selected as the host city for the upcoming conference.
The city’s achievements in the field of event management were more than once acknowledged with prestigious awards. On November 6, 2013, at the 7th International Sports Event Management Awards (ISEM) in London, UK, Kazan became winner in the Highly Commended Sport City category. In 2014, during the SportAccord International Convention in Belek, Turkey, SportsBusiness International magazine presented Tatarstan’s capital with the Best Newcomer award.
In 2009, Kazan was recognized as the ‘Sports Capital of Russia’. The city rightly and proudly bears this name, being a driving force for Russian sports development. Kazan is home to many award-winning athletes and sports clubs that participate in international competitions. The Rubin Football Club, Ak Bars Hockey Club, Zenit and Dynamo Volleyball Clubs, UNICS Basketball Club, and the Sintez Water Polo Club are the clubs whose names speak for themselves far beyond the country.
Staging of the 27th Summer Universiade in 2013 has given a new impetus to the development of children’s, youth and university sports not only in Kazan, but all over Russia. The Universiade was staged to the highest possible organizational standard and was dubbed as the best ‘World University Summer Games’ ever. Thus, Kazan has become a well recognizable city on the international sporting scene and an attractive place for hosting sporting events of all sizes.
In the summer of 2015, Kazan hosted one more major event – the 16th FINA World Championships – which became record-breaking in terms of the number of participating countries and cumulative TV audience. Apart from high-profile projects, Kazan regularly stages national and international sporting events at its venues. In 2017, together with Moscow, Saint Petersburg and Sochi Kazan will play host to matches of the FIFA Confederations Cup and in 2018 the city is also in the list of 11 Russian cities for matches of the FIFA World Cup.
SIXTH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE OF
MINISTERS AND SENIOR OFFICIALS RESPONSIBLE FOR
PHYSICAL EDUCATION AND SPORT
(MINEPS VI)
Kazan (Russian Federation), 13-15 July 2017
PROVISIONAL PROGRAMME
