The Islamic Solidarity Sports Association (ISSA) participated in the 2026 Ordinary Session of UNESCO's Intergovernmental Committee for Physical Education and Sport (CIGEPS), and the Inter-institutional Meeting on Sport at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris.

ISSA representatives engaged actively in discussions across both events and met with UNESCO officials and fellow international organisations to strengthen ongoing partnerships and explore collaborative activities aimed at advancing sport and physical activity across the ISSA’s 57 member countries.

The CIGEPS Ordinary Session brought together governments, international organisations and sport stakeholders to advance inclusive, equitable and safe sport and physical education globally.

Meanwhile, the Inter-institutional Meeting on Sport, hosted by UNESCO, focused on aligning approaches to data and measurement in support of national sport policy development.

The themes at the heart of both meetings closely reflect the ISSA's own strategic priorities. Through programs such as Forward through Sport, the ISSA is actively working to harness the power of sport as a tool for development, social inclusion and youth empowerment across its member states.

Commenting on the meetings, ISSA Director of International Relations Fatema Hayat said: “These two days at UNESCO reinforced the importance of multilateral cooperation in building sport systems that are truly inclusive, safe and equitable. The discussions were a timely reminder that the goals we are pursuing through programs like Forward through Sport are shared by partners across the international community.”

The ISSA also congratulates His Excellency Mr Gohar Nabil, the Egyptian Minister of Youth and Sports, who was elected as CIGEPS Chairperson during the Session.