At the CIGEPS-meeting held on 3-4 April in Paris, ACES board member André de Jeu was in attendance, representing ACES as a partner of UNESCO and a supporter of the Fit for Life program launched in Baku in 2023. De Jeu actively promoted the paper “Creating Inclusive Cities through Sport,” which showcases numerous exemplary initiatives from the ACES global network of cities. This document highlights how sport can be leveraged to foster inclusivity and community engagement within urban environments.

Additionally, de Jeu explored new potential partnerships, focusing on expanding the ACES’ reach into African countries such as Kenya, as well as with nations such as Bahrein, Jamaica and India, aiming to foster international collaboration and share successful practices on leveraging sport for social cohesion and urban development.

The 2024 CIGEPS session focused on the follow-up to MINEPS VII (Baku 2023). The UNESCO Secretariat presented the progress made in Fit for Life’s priority action areas, which include advancing social and environmental legacies of major sport events, strengthening the evidence base on the impact of sport, scaling impact investment in sport, championing gender equality and safeguarding, fighting against racism, empowering youth and unlocking the potential of the African sport ecosystem. An overview of UNESCO’s high-level events for 2024 in connection with the Olympic and Paralympic Games was also presented.

Pic info: André de Jeu with Didier Drogba (former football player), Peace and Sport Vice-President, Champion for Peace