4~ I~ A AS Dg-L; IVEPED
PRIME MINISTER' WEDNESDAY, 25 MARCH, 1981
ADDRESS AT CONFEDERATION OF SPORT
MELBOURNE
I would like to welcome you all here. Especially I would like
to welcome His Royal Highness. We are always honoured when
he visits Australia and it is a tribute to his significant
contribution to the cause of sport that he is here on
this occasion.
I understand that Australia has some cause to be especially
grateful on this occasion because as I am advised, a European
country that I will not name and Australia both offered to
host this inaugural meeting. Part of the business of seeing
that Australia was successful in that particular competition
was the willingness of his Royal Highness to travel to Austra]. ia
if the meeting were to be held here. If he was going to trave~ l
that distance to be here, how could anyone else refuse? So thtank
you very much indeed, sir, for being here and helping to make
sure that Australia and this city had the opportunity to host
this particular occasion.
I would. like to welcome, for my wife and myself and for the
Commonwealth-Government, the delegates to Sport International 1981.
More thJan 50 countries are represented here, representatives of
a large number of international sporting bodies. I hope very
much that your meeting will be productive, and that yourstay in
Australia and in thft-s city will be a happy one, that you will not
be wor'ked too hard during your days with us.
Austraj. 4, and. I think especially Melbourne, are-delighted to
be the venue for Sport International 1981.
This event, as you would all know of course, goes back to
discussions which began in 1974. At the Commonwealth Games in
Christchurch, informal discussions between representatives from
a number of countries gave rise to the idea that an international
conference of national sports confederations should indeed
be established. As. I understand, the purpose is to strengthen
national sports confederations and to enable them to carry oul:
their responsibilities to their many sports better and more
effectively and independent of governments. In Australia there
has never been any doubt th~ t our sporting bodies ' are independent
of government. They have demonstrated that on many occasions,
and long may it last. / 2
-2
Four years after Christchurch, at Edmonton, there were further
informal meetings convened by His Roya!' Highness, to consider'
whether a world body along the lines of West European
non-governmental sports organisations', as I am told, the NGO
Club, was feasible and whether it was desirable. That led to
a considerable degree of interest. That led to a meeting in,
London in March in 1979 under his Royal Highness' chairmanship
where representatives from 17 nations and several international
sporting bodies met. A working committee was established.
A draft constitution was-drawn. I do not know whether your actual
constitution has any resemblance to the draft, but that is-the. way
Of constitutions, they change as time goes on. Also, of course
that working committee was to recommend aims and objectives.
There was a further meeting in Amsterdam in the same year,
and then an organising committee to establish this particular
meeting. So there has been a long chain of events, a good deal
of discussion and you have got to the launching point.
This event is the culmination of a long process, but hopefully,
this is only the end of the beginning. For it is the inaugural
or the formation meeting of the International Assembly of
National Sports Confederations. I think that there is great
potential in this assembly.
Sport is important to all of us. It is important to all nations.
It is important in relationships between nations, and it is also
important for sporting confederations and sporting bodies in
particular countries to be able to conduct their own affairs with
the maximum degree of freedom and conduct their own relationships
with similar bodies in other countries. I hope very much that
this assembly will advance that cause with strength.
There is great importance and great value in sport, in the growth
of sports and in greater participation in sport, not only at the
highest level where nations compete with nations but to try and
achieve the maximum participation of people in various sports.
The fact that thisL-assembly represents, as* I am told, over 1004W
sports:-instead of just a few is something of value. I hope it
will add to international co-operation in sport.
I would like to wish you all the best of good fortune for
Sport International 1981, for this assembly, for its launching
and for its success in future years. I thank you all very much
for coming to Melbourne and I hope that you will return, and
I am sure that the Premier, Mr. Hamrer, joins me very warmly
in the welcome to this particular city.
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