Unesco's Decade of Commitment to Physical Education and Sport

Author(s): Unesco Institute for Education

Source: International Review of Education / Internationale Zeitschrift für
Erziehungswissenschaft / Revue Internationale de l'Education, Vol. 35, No. 1, Sports and
Physical Education (1989), pp. 99-102
Published by: Springer
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3444625
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 99

UNESCO'S DECADE OF COMMITMENT TO PHYSICAL EDUCATION

AND SPORT

The Framework of Unesco's Activities

Unesco's measures to support the teaching of physical education and sport are under-
pinned by the International Charter of Physical Education and Sport, which was
adopted in 1978.' Since then, practical steps have been taken to implement its statement
of aims directly through the International Fund for the Development of Physical
Education and Sport, which Unesco established at the same time. Other measures have
included support for meetings to promote worldwide the concept of Sport for All, with
particular regard to the integration of the disabled and those suffering any form of
social disadvantage, and to the needs of women and girls. The implications for the train-
ing of instructors and the provision of appropriate equipment and facilities have also
been addressed.
This work follows the organization, twelve years ago, of an international conference
that brought together for the first time at world level ministers and senior officials
responsible for physical education and sport. In November 1988 the second such con-
ference, known as MINEPS II, was organized in Moscow; while 42 Member States of
Unesco supplied information for the preparation of MINEPS I in 1976, 70 States
responded to the questionnaire circulated before MINEPS II, indicating the growing in-
ternational awareness of the importance of the physical aspect of education. In the in-
tervening years an Intergovernmental Committee for Physical Education and Sport has
met regularly to plan Unesco's activities. Some of the outcomes of the Moscow meeting
are reported in the final section of this Note.
In its own actions, and in its support for the voluntary efforts of national govern-
ments and non-governmental organizations, Unesco has sought to combat the dangers
of the spread of violence and drug-taking, and of excessive commercialization. It is also
very conscious of the need to extend the concept of 'sport' beyond those competitive
activities which are practised internationally, so that traditional sports and games and
all forms of physical exercise are adequately promoted for the well-being of all. This
will be a particular concern as modes of employment move away from physical labour,
and it will contribute to the survival of a varied cultural heritage. It must also be recog-
nized that the costs of facilities for many competitive sports are themselves a heavy bur-
den on poorer countries and restrict public access.
There are thus several questions with significant ethical and political dimensions fac-
ing policy-makers, providers and practitioners in the field of physical activities. Unesco
will continue to act as mediator and facilitator, frequently collaborating with non-
governmental organizations and pressing for the extension of sports opportunities to
all sections of the population, especially in developing countries.

International Charter of Physical Education and Sport

The Charter, which was adopted by the twentieth General Conference of Unesco on 21
November 1978, contains a Preamble and ten brief Articles. These include a proclama-
tion of a human right to physical education and sport, regardless of age or physical at-
tributes, and they place the onus on government, and on public and private agencies,
to provide for the same.
The right to physical education and sport is a major extension to the Universal

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100

Declaration of Human Rights adopted in 1948 by the United Nations,2 but it has its
roots in the Articles of that Declaration which speak of the right to rest and leisure (Arti-
cle 24), education (Article 26) and participation in cultural activities (Article 27).
When this concept of right is applied to physical education, it leads to the 1978
Charter declaration that 'Everyone must have full opportunities, in accordance with his
national tradition of sport, for practising physical education and sport, developing his
physical fitness and attaining a level of achievement in sport which corresponds to his
gifts' (Article 1.2). It is intended that the fulfilment of this right will in turn enable the
beneficiary to exercise social responsibility: 'Physical education and sport ... must
develop the abilities, will-power and self-discipline of every human being as a fully inte-
grated member of society' (Article 2.1).
To enable this to come about, 'Appropriate structures must be established for the
training of personnel for physical education and sport .... Adequate and sufficient
facilities and equipment must be provided and installed to meet the needs of intensive
and safe participation in both in-school and out-of-school programmes ...' (Articles
4.3 and 5.1). Further, there is a call for international cooperation, which 'must be
prompted by wholly disinterested motives in order to promote and stimulate en-
dogenous development in this field' (Article 10.2) and which 'will contribute to the
preservation of lasting peace, mutual respect and friendship and will thus create a pro-
pitious climate for solving international problems' (Article 10.3). Other consequences
are foreseen for the disinterested supportive role of the mass media, the collection and
dissemination of information and documentation and the conduct of research and
evaluation (to which this issue of the International Review of Education hopes to make
a contribution).

The Implementation of the Charter

The Charter itself admits, as does a Unesco report published in 1988,3 that the im-
plementation of these lofty aims varies greatly from place to place. FIDEPS has,
however, had some effect in providing theoretical and practical training, appropriate
equipment and installations, and a general increase in access to the practice of sports
for people of all ages. A few examples will demonstrate the range of FIDEPS' activi-
ties:4

-'Operation 2000', jointly funded by Canada, France, Francophone Belgium and the
Agency for Cultural and Technical Cooperation, has so far trained 66 women athletes
from developing countries.
- In collaboration with the French Ministry of Youth and Sports and manufacturers
of sports facilities a study has been made of an all-weather sports complex which
could be built from local materials at low cost.
- The 'World Peace Games', a 'Pato' (Argentine equestrian) tournament and a roller-
skate FIDEPS promotional rally round part of the Mediterranean were all organized
in 1987.

In addition to administering this Fund, which has been supported by voluntary dona-
tions in cash and kind, Unesco supported the first World Week of Physical Fitness and
Sport for All, which was organized in a number of countries as part of International
Youth Year in 1985.
Unesco has also been represented at numerous conferences and meetings of non-

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 101

governmental bodies, most recently notably at the Twentieth General Assembly of the
General Association of International Sports Federations (AGFIS), October 1986, in
Monte Carlo; at the International Symposium organi7ed by the Working Group of the
European Sports Conference, January 1987, in Helsinki; at the 42nd session of the Ex-
ecutive Committee of the International Council on Sport Science and Physical Educa-
tion (ICSSPE), May 1987, in Quebec; at a meeting on the ethical values of sport
organized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), October 1987, in Lausanne;
at the Second International Congress on Sport for All, May 1988, in Prague; and at the
World Congress of the International Association for Physical Education in Higher
Education (AIESEP), July 1988, in Madrid. Close collaboration with such bodies,
especially with the IOC in the fight against drug abuse, is to be maintained. A working
group composed of representatives of Unesco and the Olympic Movement has been
meeting regularly at the headquarters of the two organizations.
Unesco has also launched pilot studies on the extension of physical education and
sport to women and girls in the Philippines, Egypt, Peru and Guatemala.
As an indication of the value attached to traditional local sports and games, attention
may be called to an issue of Asian Culture published by the Asian Cultural Centre for
Unesco in 1985 under the title, 'Traditional Sports and Games'.5 This contains descrip-
tions of sports practised in China, Korea, the Philippines, Japan, Thailand and India,
which include such varied activities as wrestling, dragon-boat racing, martial arts, team
shuttlecock and non-competitive children's running and chasing games. The point is
made that some of these maintain cultural elements of historical re-enactment, religious
rites, and the struggle for daily survival. In common with other, better known activities
they demonstrate that sport is preferable to war, wrestling to killing.

Moscow and After

The second conference of ministers and senior officials held in November 1988
(MINEPS II) reaffirmed the commitment of Unesco and of the participating represen-
tatives of Member States to the general principles of the International Charter. A for-
mal Moscow Declaration, to be contained in the final report now in preparation, lays
particular emphasis on the need to combat the occurrences of violence, drug-taking and
over-commercialization which have accompanied the expansion of some forms of sport
and the media coverage devoted to it. The improved international political climate, it
is believed, opens up new prospects for widening access to sport in countries presently
lacking facilities, while avoiding excessive concentration on 'high-level' sport.
The conference made a number of recommendations for the exchange of interna-
tional expertise and the redirection of funds. The future role of Unesco may therefore
include assisting Member States to devise innovative national programmes, publicizing
courses, conferences and other events of relevance to a scientific discussion of sport
throughout the world, commissioning and disseminating reports of good practice,
jointly designing training materials which take account of the ethical and moral values
of sport, and promoting cooperation between governmental and voluntary agencies,
and between training centres in developed and developing countries. Efforts will be
made to solicit funds from funding agencies, particularly in the interest of physical
education in the Third World.
A Joint Declaration by Unesco and the Olympic Movement was also agreed in Mos-
cow, containing the basis for collaboration in three areas: the extension of access to
physical education and sport in developing countries, the promotion of the broadest

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102

possible participation in international competitive sport in accordance with the Olympic

ideal, and action to stop doping in sport.
There is no intention that Unesco should duplicate the efforts of other agencies, na-
tional, non-governmental or intergovernmental, but it will work closely with these in
what can be seen as a worldwide move to foster physical activities for the whole popula-
tion.

Notes

1. International Charter of Physical Education and Sport. Paris: Unesco, 1978, 8 pp.
2. Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted 10 December 1948. New York:
United Nations, 30 Articles.
3. 'International Fund for the Development of Physical Education and Sport'. Unesco
News. 223 (8 February 1988), pp. 1-2.
4. Examples drawn from report mentioned in Note 3.
Address: FIDEPS, Unesco, 7 place de Fontenoy, F-7500 Paris, France.
5. Asian Culture. 38 (Winter-Spring 1985). Tokyo: Asian Cultural Centre for Unesco.

UNESCO INSTITUTE FOR EDUCATION

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