OSCE Mission to Skopje supports decentralizing sports and physical education

SKOPJE, 24 April 2008 - How to better decentralize responsibility for physical education and sports facilities to the local level and developing a national sports strategy is the aim of a conference that started in Skopje today.

The event is organized by the Expert's Council for Sport Education Science and Tourism (ECSEST), and supported by the OSCE Mission to Skopje, the Association of Municipalities and the state Agency for Youth and Sports.

"Sports and recreation are topics closely related to opportunities offered to young people and the elderly, and are also very good instruments for the integration of different communities in the municipalities," said Alessandro Tedesco, Acting Head of Public Administration Reform Department at the OSCE Mission.

Participants at the conference will evaluate the social and national interest in physical education and sports, including school, university, and professional sports, as well as discuss the training of competent personnel at the local level.

Professor Georgi Spasov, President of ECSEST said: "The outcome of the conference will indicate the next steps in the decentralization of sports and offer ideas for policy solutions, including the need of further training of human resources in this area."