The national sports policies and the sustainable development issue in a globalized world: 2007 – 2013, the experience of an Intergovernmental Organization (IGO-WSA)

In 2007, the Intergovernmental Organization, the World Sports Alliance (IGO-WSA), was founded with the support of international civil society (AICESIS, UN-NGO-IRENE) and the United Nations. It is entrusted with the mission of educating youth and training the executives of the national sports system to deal with human development issues (education, equity, health, gender, environment) while also contributing to the economic development of its Member States (partnerships, poverty reduction). A number of lessons can be drawn from this experience about support to national sports policies in a globalized world, more generally about the contribution to national development by and through sport. We identify seven engines of an integrated approach to a sustainable development of sport in the developing countries. For the foreseeable future, the WSA-IGO faces six challenges, as tools for a renewed program: sustainability, infrastructures, education, equity, employment and training. Key words