A Monégasque delegation attended the annual meeting of the Council of Europe’s Enlarged Partial Agreement on Sport in Strasbourg on 27th and 28th May, using the occasion to present preparations for one of the flagship events of Monaco’s historic first presidency of the Committee of Ministers: the 19th Conference of Ministers Responsible for Sport, to be held in the Principality on 3rd and 4th November 2026.

The delegation comprised Florian Botto, Adviser at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, and Michael Landau, Administrator at the Directorate of National Education, Youth and Sports. Their presentation outlined the preparatory work already under way for the November conference, which is expected to bring together close to 300 participants at the Grimaldi Forum and will serve as the concluding event of Monaco’s six-month presidency.

Children at the centre of the debate

The conference theme — ‘A Safer and Healthier Sport for All Children’ — shaped the discussions in Strasbourg, with delegates and youth representatives exchanging views that are expected to feed directly into the ministerial decisions to be adopted in Monaco in November. The breadth of the debate reflected the seriousness with which member states are approaching the subject, from safeguarding and mental health to access and inclusion across youth sport.

The Strasbourg meeting also gave Monaco the opportunity to present the results of the first expert evaluation of the implementation of the European Sport Charter in the Principality, carried out during a visit to Monaco on 18th and 19th March 2026 — an exercise that allowed the delegation to reaffirm Monaco’s commitment to the values and objectives enshrined in the Charter.

Monaco’s historic presidency

Monaco assumed the presidency of the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers on 15th May 2026 — the first time the Principality has held this role since joining the organisation in 2004. The six-month mandate, which runs until 10th November, is structured around priorities including sports ethics, the protection of children’s rights and the fight against gender-based violence.

Ambassador Gabriel Revel, Monaco’s Permanent Representative to the Council of Europe and President of the Committee of Ministers’ Deputies, also attended the Strasbourg meeting in that capacity, presenting the priority work of the organisation under Monaco’s leadership.

Full information on the November conference is available at sportministerial2026.gouv.mc.

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Photo source: Government Communications Department