Blog: Game Changers – Using sports to drive sustainable development

With the 11th Commonwealth Sports Minister Meeting (11CSMM) set to happen 25 July 2024 in Paris, France, the Commonwealth Secretariat will seek to take further the commitments made at the 10CSMM particularly within key cross-cutting areas like inclusion, youth development, health, education, enterprise and capacity building.

The potential for sport to make positive contributions to society is well recognised. Sports is acknowledged in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development as an important enabler to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Global sport and sustainable development goals

Together with UNESCO, the Commonwealth Secretariat developed the Global Sport and Sustainable Development Goals Impact Report. This report is the outcome of a long and fruitful process of developing a set of Global Sport and SDG Impact Indicators that align local, national and international sport policies and programmes with the SDGs. These indicators are designed to help countries and sporting bodies monitor and evaluate the contributions that sport, physical education and physical activity make to the achievement of the SDGs. Specifically, they help monitor the contribution of sport to areas such as:

• good health (SDG3)
• quality education (SDG4)
• gender equality (SDG5)
• economic growth and decent work for all (SDG8)
• reducing inequality (SDG10)
• sustainable consumption and environmental sustainability (SDGs 12 and 13)
• safeguarding athletes and participants from abuse and violence (SDGs 5 and 16)
• building effective, accountable and inclusive institutions (SDG16).

Post 10CSMM, the Commonwealth Secretariat has been actively engaged on advancing the sport agenda within these areas. For instance, the Commonwealth Secretariat has been integral in facilitating and assisting members with the development of National Sport Policies and guidance on how sport can provide opportunities in education, improve health and wellbeing, promote inclusion and diversity, and generate economic development for its citizens.

Engaging locals

Currently, the Secretariat is engaged with The Gambia on the development of their National Sport Policy to facilitate development for its citizens through sport in line with the SDGs.  A key highlight from this initiative was the engagement with local sport stakeholders who expressed their desire to see a more caring and winning nation through sport. As a result, areas such as safe-guarding, promoting the participation of women, girls, para-athletics and the disabled have been included into the draft of the National Sport Policy.

Additionally, the Trinbago 2023 Commonwealth Youth Games was a great tangible example of the SDGs Indicators and Kazan Action Plan put into practice. The Evaluation Report highlighted that the Games saw a total of 915 athletes and 32 para-athletes (inclusion of para-athletics SDG10), economic growth with 202 jobs being created (SDG8) and training on safe-guarding through the athlete impact lab (SDG5 and SDG16) and an increase in female participation across team sports (SDG5). Findings from the Evaluation Report will be presented to Commonwealth sports ministers during 11CSMM.

Highlighting the importance of inclusion

The appointment of Ms. Anne Wafula Strike MBE, PLY as the Secretary-General’s Special Envoy Champion for Equality in Sports provided a unique opportunity for the Commonwealth to have a strong advocate for the importance of inclusion and creating opportunities for disabled persons to participate in sports.  Ms. Wafula Strike, who is a Paralympian, has been integral in encouraging member governments to provide opportunities for disabled youth to participate in sports, ultimately accelerating their societies overall development in line with the Sport and SDG indicators.

Earlier this year, the Commonwealth hosted the 8th Commonwealth Sport Debate in the lead up to the 11CSMM. Participants discussed Artificial Intelligence (AI) being the answer to accelerate the power of sport to achieve the SDGs by 2030. The Commonwealth Secretariat is well aware that AI can be useful in assisting with achieving this goal and notes the use of AI in the area of sport is set to generate about $30billion by 2032. 

The appointment of Ambassador Amina Mohamed as the Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Sport, Enterprise and Development further demonstrated the Commonwealth’s dedication to embracing intra-Commonwealth trade as a facilitator and mechanism for sport development. Ambassador Mohammed expressed that “together with sport, trade and investment contribute in turn to progress on broader Commonwealth priorities, such as peace and security, prosperity and sustainable development”. 

Road to CHOGM

As we approach the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Apia, Samoa in October 2024, the 11CSMM aims to forge consensus and cooperation towards implementing priority actions that will result in a Commonwealth united through sports as we work towards the wider policy agenda of ‘One Resilient Common Future’.