Officially… Egypt wins the presidency of the Intergovernmental Committee for Physical Education and Sports at UNESCO

Dr. Ashraf Sobhi, Minister of Youth and Sports, Egypt’s candidate for the presidency of the Intergovernmental Committee for Physical Education and Sports (CIGEPS) of UNESCO, won during the official meeting held at exactly three o’clock in the afternoon Paris time at the organization’s headquarters, in the presence of representatives of member states in the elected executive office of the committee. The meeting was attended, representing Egypt, by Ambassador Tarek Dahroug, Ambassador of the Arab Republic of Egypt to Paris and Head of the Permanent Mission to UNESCO, who participated in the vote and the official procedures for approving the election. Dr. Ashraf Sobhi is Chairman of the Committee by unanimous vote.

 

The CIGEPS Committee is one of the most important intergovernmental bodies in the United Nations system concerned with sports and physical education. It includes 18 member states who are elected according to the system of six geographical groups approved within UNESCO, with each group being represented by 3 countries. Prior to the election of the president, the 18 countries elected the executive office of the committee, so that each geographical group is represented by one member of the office, and the composition was as follows: United Kingdom As a representative of the Western European and North Atlantic Group (WEOG), Kenya as a representative of the African Group, Costa Rica as a representative of the Latin American and Caribbean Group (GRULAC), the Cook Islands as a representative of the Asia-Pacific Group (ASPAC), Slovenia and Croatia alternately as a representative of the Eastern European Group (EEG), Egypt as a representative of the Arab States Group.

 

With the participation of representatives of the six countries in the Executive Office, Dr. Ashraf Sobhi was unanimously elected Chairman of the Committee, Thus, he becomes the first Egyptian to hold this prominent international position.

 

This position is considered the highest international position related to sports in the United Nations system, and is responsible for leading the formulation and direction of sports policies at the international level, including, promoting sports as a tool for sustainable development, supporting inclusion and comprehensiveness in sports, education and physical education, developing international standards and government policies, and coordinating cooperation between member states and international organizations.

 

This selection confirms that Dr. Ashraf Sobhi’s chairmanship of the committee is an international responsibility in addition to his national duties as Minister of Youth and Sports, and does not mean in any way his departure from his ministerial position, but rather increases his role and representation of Egypt in international forums.

 

Dr. Ashraf Sobhi expressed his sincere appreciation for the international trust that granted him this position, and thanked His Excellency President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi for his constant support for youth and sports work and enabling Egypt to play Leadership roles at the international level.

 

The Minister also thanked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Immigration and Egyptian Affairs Abroad for the great efforts made by the two work teams in cooperation with the Ministry of Youth and Sports during the last period, which contributed to securing this historic victory for Egypt.

 

This victory represents an unprecedented step that places Egypt in a leadership position within the most important international platform specialized in sports policies, and enables it to lead international efforts to promote sports.

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