The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development recognises sport as an enabler of sustainable development and peace.

The Commonwealth supports member governments, the Commonwealth sports movement and key stakeholders to maximise the contribution that sport can make to the SDGs in areas of health, education, gender equality, social cohesion, good governance and building strong institutions.

By aligning national sports policy to the SDGs, countries can help maximise the impact and contribution of sport to national development objectives. This contribution can be realised through the use of sport as a tool in advancing development priorities and by strengthening governance, gender equality and the protection and promotion of human rights in sport.

Tailored Commonwealth support assists countries with policy design, strategy development, consultation, research, training and evaluation, through expert technical assistance, as well as the provision of toolkits and guidelines.

The Commonwealth’s assistance in bolstering the intentional use of sport to deliver non-sport development outcomes is already making a difference in many countries. More people and communities are healthier, more connected and more prosperous as a result of participating in sport, especially women, young people and people living with a disability.

The Commonwealth works closely with member governments and other stakeholders to ensure technical assistance is tailored to suit each country, the local environment and also reflects government priorities and aspirations. There is also a strong focus on identifying good practice locally to share with other Commonwealth countries.