Sport for All and Rethinking Sport were the two central themes of the 17th Council of Europe Conference of Ministers responsible for Sport (26 October) in Antalya (Türkiye), organised by the Enlarged Partial Agreement on Sport (EPAS) in co-operation with the Ministry of Youth and Sports of the Republic of Türkiye.
Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić opened the event together with the Minister of Youth and Sports of the Republic of Türkiye Mehmet Muharrem Kasapoğlu. A video address was delivered by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
The Conference brought together representatives from over 50 countries. Two main themes were on the agenda:
- Sport for all: uniting us for stronger societies;
- Rethinking sport: leading the way for a healthy and sustainable future.
Football Icon and Board Member of the UEFA Foundation for Children Clarence Seedorf was one of the keynote speakers for the Sport for All theme. Paralympic Gold Medallist in Archery Gizem Girişmen was one of the keynote speakers for the Rethinking Sport theme.
During the conference the Republic of Türkiye and North Macedonia signed the Convention on the Manipulation of Sports Competitions (CETS No. 215), known as the Macolin Convention.
Deputy Secretary General Bjørn Berge closed the conference with Minister Kasapoğlu. A side event on the inclusion of migrants and refugees through sport with SRSG for Migration and Refugees Leyla Kayacik will take place on 27 October.
