Speech by Anders Ygeman, Minister for Integration and Migration with responsibility for sport

Towards a green and sustainable deal for sport, digital conference, 3 March 2022, European parliament, Strasbourg

Dear Ministers and participants,

Thank you for the opportunity to address this conference as a part of our common EU Trio-Presidency with France, Czech Republic and Sweden.

A special thanks to my colleague Roxana for inviting me to speak.

This conference is held in Strasbourg – the centre of respect for human rights and rule of law in Europe.

I think this is of great importance.

Because even though the topic of this conference is quite another, I first wish to address the current situation in Europe.

Participants, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is unprovoked, illegal, and unjustifiable.

The Russian political leadership bears full responsibility for this.

The military aggression from Russia threatens international peace and security and is a flagrant violation of international law.

It is a serious breach of the European security order.

The Swedish Government supports European and International sport organisations boycott of sporting exchange with Russia.

However, we also need to discuss other issues simultaneously and the topic for today’s discussion is very important.

We all know the power of sport for societal change.

To inspire and to unite people.

Now, we – Governments, sports organisations, and their communities – need to find ways to use this power to limit our environmental impact.

We need to be a part of the solution for a sustainable future.

The Agenda 2030 requires changed at both individual and societal level.

The Sustainable Development Goals – both the economic, social and environmental – must be achieved for all people, in all parts of society.

To reach the goals, we need to establish stronger cooperation’s and partnerships.

And sport has the great power to bring these together.

People, networks and organisations that are committed to sport and sustainable development.

I would like to give two concrete examples from my country on how this can be translated into something concrete.

First, the Swedish Sports Confederation and its members has created a checklist for sustainable sport events.

This list consists of 40 aspects of sustainability with a number of inspirational action points.

The points include everything from choosing environmentally friendly team clothing to transports and waste management.

This initiative is an attempt to collect and share the knowledge on sustainability that already exist among sports federations and associations in Sweden.

The idea is simple – to inspire each other to do the right thing.

I am happy to see that this checklist has been created in close cooperation between the Swedish Sports Confederations partner organisations in Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia.

Another inspiring example is a project funded by Sweden’s innovation agency.

The aim of the project is to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide for travel linked to organized sports.

This is to be done through mapping of current travel behaviours.

The data collected is then being analysed and form the basis for an action plan for every participating organisation to implement.

These are examples on how sport can be a progressive force for sustainability:

• to combat climate change,
• to strengthen cross border and generational solidarity,
• to include the sport movement as a part of the transition.

I’m grateful for the work done by so many for a green and sustainable deal for sport.

I’m also hopeful that today’s conference will strengthen our joint efforts to fulfil our common goals.

Because I’m convinced, when we meet great challenges, we all need to work together.

CANADA, March 3 – Melanie Mark, Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport, and Ravi Kahlon, two-time Olympian and Minister of Jobs, Economic Recovery and Innovation, have released the following statement on the 2022 Paralympic Winter Games in Beijing:

“On Friday, March 4, the 2022 Paralympic Winter Games will begin in Beijing. Canada has assembled a strong team of competitors, who are poised to shine on the world stage with some amazing performances.

“B.C. athletes chosen to represent Team Canada at this month’s Paralympic Winter Games in Beijing include: Ina Forrest, from Vernon, a three-time medallist in wheelchair curling; Ethan Hess, Paralympic Nordic skier from Pemberton, who will compete in cross-country skiing as part of the nation’s formidable Paralympic Nordic team; and Tyler Turner, Paralympic snowboarder from Campbell River, who is fresh off his two gold- and one bronze-medal wins at the 2022 World Para Snow Sports Championships.

“Beyond the thrill and excitement of great competition, these Games represent stories of what it takes to become a world-class athlete. The Paralympics are filled with people who have beaten incredible odds to come out at the top of their respective sports. Many Paralympians have faced tremendous obstacles. By sheer determination, outstanding skill and undeterred drive they have emerged triumphant. Each has broken boundaries, shattered glass ceilings and pushed beyond limits to become one of the best in the world in their sport, all while displaying the true heart of a champion.

“It is also a great point of pride for all British Columbians that Josh Dueck, two-time B.C. Paralympian, has been named chef de mission of the 2022 Canadian Paralympic Winter Team. A pioneer in Paralympic alpine sit skiing, Dueck garnered international acclaim, not only for his gold- and silver-medal wins, but for making sport history by being the first para-alpine sit skier to complete a backflip.

“Our government knows first-hand the power of sport. That is why the Province commits over $800,000 annually to disability sport organizations to advance accessibility and increase equity throughout British Columbia. These investments create life-changing opportunities for people of all abilities and for high-performance athletes, such as B.C.’s Paralympians, so that they can shine and reach for the stars.

“Sport, especially in the Olympic and Paralympic arenas, brings forward shared values of respect, equality and excellence. Our thoughts are with the people of Ukraine and their athletes who are competing in a time of unimaginable strife. 

“On behalf of Premier John Horgan and our entire government, congratulations to Team Canada, and best of luck for a safe and successful Paralympic Winter Games. We know that all British Columbians join us in cheering you on at the Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games.”

Learn More:

For up-to-date progress on B.C.-connected athletes at the 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in Beijing, as well as a list of upcoming events and current medal wins, visit: https://www.bcmedals.ca

VIETNAM, March 4 –  

HÀ NỘI — Improving the business environment is among Việt Nam’s top priorities in the future, especially as the country is trying to get the economy back on track, said economists and policymakers at a conference in Hà Nội on Thursday.

Prolonged social and mobility restrictions to check the spread of COVID-19 in recent months had significantly hampered efforts to improve the country’s business environment, said Nguyễn Đình Cung, former head of the Central Institute for Economic Management (CIEM).

As reforms lost momentum there had been signs of resistance coming from the government’s ministries and offices against changes.

“We have witnessed the return of business requirements that were once removed as well as additional requirements put in place,” he said. 

Dr Nguyễn Minh Thảo, head of CIEM’s business environment and competition department, said efforts to improve the country’s business environment had slowed down significantly since the end of 2019.

Thảo said too many commitments had been made on paper by the government but too few had been implemented and reviewed. 

“For example, while local governments and ministries reported an increased number of administrative procedures available online in many cases they have not been able to effectively service businesses,” she said. 

It has been reflected in Việt Nam’s less-than-impressive Economic Freedom score. The country ranked 17th among 40 countries in the Asia–Pacific region with 61.7 points, just 0.01 points above the world’s average.  

Speaking at the conference, deputy minister of planning and investment Trần Duy Đông said the Government was fully committed to the long-term and sustainable improvement of the business environment and considered it a driving force for economic recovery and national development. 

Đông said the Prime Minister’s Office in January approved the Government Decree 02/NQ-CP and authorised funding for a programme designed to speed up the process. The Government had also reiterated its priorities to boost the country’s competitive capacity. 

Thảo, however, said 24 of 26 of ministry-level bodies had just set deadlines to implement reforms. Notably, the Ministry of Culture, Sport and Tourism and Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry had not made public information regarding their action plan. 

Similarly, just 50/ of 63 local governments had reported with the Ministry of Planning and Investment regarding their action plans while 13 others including the localities of Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu, Bạc Liêu, Đồng Nai, Hà Tĩnh, Hòa Bình, Hưng Yên, Lai Châu, Long An, Quảng Bình, Tây Ninh, HCM City, Trà Vinh and Vĩnh Long had not. 

Commenting on the slow progress, Cung stressed the importance of support measures for the business community, which has been severely battered by the pandemic and is in desperate need of streamlined and less costly services to recover. 

He called on all governmental bodies and offices to double down on their effort to improve the business environment. He suggested no more technical barriers be created while local governments actively review and identify wasteful and costly administrative procedures to be removed immediately. 

Cung said the effort must be concentrated to push ongoing reforms further while stomping out resistance from ministerial offices to changes. There should also not be distinctions and different treatments among domestic and international firms when it comes to administrative reforms. VNS