The meeting focused on the European Sports Charter, with a dedicated session which allowed for the showcasing and sharing of best practice examples implemented by member states and sports organisations on a number of dimensions covered by the Charter. These dimensions included human rights in and through sport, sport for all, education, inclusion of migrants and refugees, and sustainability.
Article 1 – Aim of the Charter
The aim of this Charter is to guide governments in the design and implementation of legal and policy frameworks for sport which highlight its multiple individual and social benefits (in particular for health, inclusion and education) and abide by and promote the values of human rights, democracy and the rule of law, as enshrined in the Council of Europe’s applicable standards. To achieve this aim, governments should take the steps necessary to:
1. enable every individual to participate in sport and notably ensure that:
all young people receive physical education instruction at educational institutions and have access to opportunities to develop physical literacy, physical fitness and acquire fundamental movement skills;
everyone has the opportunity to take part in sport in a safe, secure and healthy environment;
the development of sport is inclusive, evaluated and monitored on a regular basis; and
everyone has the opportunity to improve their standard of performance in sport beyond its practice for recreational purpose and reach levels of personal achievement and/or levels of excellence in an ethical, fair and responsible way;
Article 11 – Building the foundations for the practice of sport
1. All appropriate steps should be taken to develop physical literacy and physical fitness among young people, enabling them to acquire fundamental movement skills and to encourage them to practise sport, notably by:
ensuring that all students have access to sports, recreation and physical education programmes and facilities and that appropriate time slots are set aside for these activities;
ensuring the training of qualified teachers in this area in all schools;