The 13th World Sport for All Congress, held in Jyväskylä, Finland from 14 to 17 June, wrapped up yesterday with a declaration that was adopted unanimously by all the 586 participants from 92 countries. The document, which was presented by Sam Ramsamy, Chairman of the IOC’s Sport for All Commission, sums up current needs and trends in the field of Sport for All and recommends concrete action to counteract physical inactivity. With the declaration, the Congress participants address the sports movement, individuals, families, the health sector, schools and government authorities.

Organised by the LIKES Research Centre and the University of Jyväskylä, the Congress was hosted by the Finnish Olympic Committee under the patronage of the International Olympic Committee, in collaboration with the World Health Organization and Sportaccord/GAISF.

The 14th World Sport for All Congress will take place in 2011 in Beijing, China, and offer the opportunity to assess whether, and how, the contents of the declaration have been implemented.