NEWS
ENGSO and ENGSO Youth at EPAS 19th Conference of Ministers Responsible for Sport
ENGSO Office Director Marie Denitton, also member of the bureau of the EPAS Consultative Committee, and ENGSO Youth Committee member Siiri Turunen represented ENGSO at the 19th Conference of Ministers Responsible for Sport, organised by the Council of Europe’s Enlarged Partial Agreement on Sport (EPAS), taking place in Monaco on 3–4 November 2026.
Under the theme “Safer and Healthier Sport for All Children and Young People”, the conference brought together key stakeholders to discuss how to make sport safer, healthier and more inclusive for younger generations.
During the conference, ENGSO delivered a statement highlighting the key messages of the SAFE project, emphasising the importance of ensuring that safeguarding policies are consistently translated into practice, particularly at grassroots level.
We also underlined that ENGSO’s ambition goes beyond supporting sport clubs and organisations in adopting safeguarding policies. The ultimate goal is to foster a genuine culture of safeguarding, where safe practices are embedded in everyday activities, organisational decisions and all aspects of sporting life.
About a conference
The conference is organised by the Governing Board and the Secretariat of the Enlarged Partial Agreement on Sport (EPAS), in cooperation with the Princely Government. It is bringing together representatives of Council of Europe member States and observer States, as well as members of EPAS and/or Parties to the European Cultural Convention.
Under the overarching theme “Safer and Healthier Sport for All Children”, the Conference will address two key areas:
Preventing and addressing violence and abuse: exploring effective approaches to preventing, identifying and responding to violence and abuse, both against children and perpetrated by children;
Promoting health and well-being through sport: examining the role of sport in safeguarding and promoting children’s physical and mental health, as well as their overall well-being.
Bringing together Ministers, senior government officials, experts and representatives of the sports movement, the Conference will provide a high-level platform for dialogue and exchange. It will offer an important opportunity to strengthen European cooperation, foster a shared commitment and develop common strategies to prevent and address violence in sport, safeguard children, and harness the positive potential of sport to promote their health, well-being and personal development.