December 9 – Sports ministers from across the world were convening in Qatar today to explore the idea of creating a G20 sports grouping to mirror the economic equivalent. Sports officials from a raft of nations including South Africa, Brazil, Mexico and Italy were taking part in the summit as part of the three-day Doha Goals conference.
The theme for the conference as a whole is Integrity in Sport, focusing on the promotion of fairness and equality in sports. Participants include Wilfried Lemke, special advisor on sport for development and peace, to Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, United Nations; and Ron Noble, Secretary General, Interpol.
Lord Mandelson, Chairman of Global Counsel and ex-EU Trade commissioner, commented: “The Ministers of Sport Summit is a significant development in trying to create policy to form the basis of an emerging G20 agenda on sport”
Richard Attias, executive producer of Doha GOALS, added: “We look forward to sharing ideas on how government departments can integrate sport into economic, social, education and health policy, as well as discussing how we can collaborate better across borders to promote transparency in sport and to fight corruption. We have the G20 group of finance ministers and we have the G20 group of head of states, but never had a G20 for sports ministers.”
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