Delegates of 16 members of the Caribbean Association of National Olympic Committees (CANOC) on April 9th, 2013, concluded a workshop in Petion Ville, Haiti, under the theme, Sport for All, National Sports Policies and Programmes.

The two-day workshop saw the delegates agree on a resolution aimed at the governments of the Caribbean and the regional institutions to which they are affiliated. The resolution states:

Whereas the Caribbean Association of National Olympic Committees (CANOC) with assistance of Toronto 2015 (TO2015), the Haitian NOC and The Association for International Sports for All (TAFISA) held a Sport for All Programme in Petion Ville, Haiti, 7 – 10 April 2013.

And whereas 16 member countries of CANOC were represented – Aruba, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Turks and Caicos Islands, US Virgin Islands and Virgin Islands UK.

And whereas CANOC is an association of National Olympic Committees/Commonwealth Games Associations (NOCs/CGAs) from these countries.

And whereas Sport for All is defined as the systemic provision of physical activity accessible to all citizens

And whereas Sport for All is seen by these NOCs/CGAs to be a fundamental and desirable development policy

And whereas Sport for All promotes good health, community participation, educational advance, gender equity and economic productivity and combats inactivity, non-communicable diseases, social exclusion and segregation, physical and mental illness

Therefore be it resolved

That CANOC strongly recommends to the governments of the Caribbean that they adopt a fundamental developmental policy of Sport for All throughout their institutions and those regional institutions to which they belong

That CANOC further recommends that funding be allocated for the promotion of this policy by each national government and regional institutions in annual budgets

That CANOC also seeks funding from the Inter-American Development Bank and other international agencies and sponsors to promote Sport for All through the hosting of workshops, educational programmes and public outreach activities

That each NOC partners with its respective government, civic groups and institutions, Chamber of Commerce and other agencies to establish and implement Sport for All through the provision of workshops, educational programmes, public outreach activities and the development of appropriate infrastructure such as parks, playgrounds, community centres, walking/hiking trails.

The SKNOC’s representative at that workshop was Mr James. Hanley.