SportAccord Underway in Dubai

Taking place from 25-30 April, the 2010 edition of the SportAccord Convention is being held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Dubai. IPC President Sir Philip Craven and Chief Executive Officer Xavier Gonzalez are both at the sports convention to promote awareness of the Paralympic Movement and the important issues that face the IPC.

Other attendees include several International Sports Federations affiliated to the General Association of International Sports Federations (GAISF), the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF) and the Association of the International Olympic Winter Sports Federations (AIOWF), as well as the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Executive Board, together with host and candidate cities, sponsors, sports lawyers, broadcasters and other specialists.

The 2010 SportAccord Convention’s remarkable list of participants this year includes such speakers as former United Nations (UN) Secretary General Kofi Annan, International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) President Sepp Blatter, Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) President Michel Platini, cricket star Rahul Dravid and Swimming legend Ian Thorpe.

The former UN Secretary General will be giving a keynote address on the role of sport as an agent of social change. In speaking, he will offer his vision of how the potential of sport as a positive influence can be translate into concrete action for a healthier, greener, more just and peaceful world.

Every year SportAccord Week features a dynamic exhibition, numerous networking receptions and top-level conference sessions, including the City Forum, as well as the annual general meetings of the Sports Governing Bodies. The Convention attracts over 1,500 leading representatives of international sport.

For more information about the 2010 SportAccord Convention, please visit www.sportaccordconvention.com.