The 2025 edition of the North-South Dialogues, organised by the North-South Centre (NSC) and the Enlarged Partial Agreement on Sport (EPAS) today at the Palais de l’Europe, in Strasbourg.
The round table gathered high-profile figures, and the expertise of leading organisations in the field of sport, to discuss the transformative power of sport for development and inclusion.
Ambassador Francesca Camilleri Vettiger, chairwoman of the North-South Centre of the Council of Europe, opened the roundtable, highlighting the relevance of the topic and the potential of sport for social change, but also the challenges faced in sport and the role of legal instruments and frameworks to achieve practices that are fair, ethical and inclusive. During her opening speech, H.E also announced the launch of the most recent HEY course, Towards responsible, safe, inclusive and ethical sport (edition in French). The call for participants is open, and applications can be submitted until 15 June through the online form.
During the discussions, Nawal El Moutawakel, Olympian, vice-president of the International Olympic Committee and former Minister of Youth and Sports of the Kingdom of Morocco, reminded us of the need to find common solutions for global challenges, and how sport can be a powerful tool to create that change, through targeted policies which often result on major return on investment. Ms EL Moutawakel also addressed gender equality in sport, and how the situation has improved over the last decades, but much work is yet to be done and necessary. Didier Sauvaire, vice-president of the International Confederation of Francophone Sports Unions, highlighted the “indestructible link” between sport and sustainable development, as a vector of respect, solidarity and social inclusion. He also mentioned the community work done through sport and its positive impact. Solène Charuau, chair of EPAS, presented their recent work related to inclusion in sport, with a special focus on the recently launched Sport for All project, and the institutional and legal framework of sport in the Council of Europe, as well as its priorities and instruments. Allan Williams, Chairperson of the Working Group for Safeguarding in Sport of the African Union Sports Council (AUSC), intervened online and highlighted the social dimension of sport and its potential in overcoming poverty, not only through professionalisation but also through the involvement of young people in associations and NGOs, building capacity and acquiring competences.
Pau Solanilla Franco, specialist on strategic communication and sport diplomacy, expertly moderated the discussion, bringing together all the contributions and creating links between interventions and themes.
The North-South Dialogues bring together stakeholders from Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and beyond, to explore opportunities for cooperation and address shared challenges. By identifying key areas of contention and fostering collaborative solutions, these discussions aim to build trust and strengthen partnerships, in line with values and standards of the Council of Europe that are shared in other regions.
The 2025 edition of the North-South Dialogues integrates an awareness-raising action addressing human rights in and through sport, as a collaboration between the NSC and EPAS. #AlwaysHumanRights serves as a framework to disseminate different initiatives, standards, resources and opportunities, while promoting the notion that human rights are always a dimension of sports: There are always human rights in sports. More information about the visibility action be found on the dedicated page.
More information
+351 213 584 030