Why Develop the UK’s International Sporting Relationships?
Our ambition is for the UK to have a strong, respected and supportive voice in international sport.
This is important because our high performance and major event hosting investments and targets depend heavily on the legitimacy, credibility and effectiveness of the organisations that govern international sporting activity.
Furthermore, International Federations regularly take decisions that directly impact on the UK’s ability to be successful in international sport – in areas such as rules, regulations, qualification processes, eligibility, new disciplines, doping issues and major event bidding. We therefore want to ensure that the voice of our sports is heard when international decisions are made.
As one of the leading sporting nations in the world, it is also important for the UK to play its part in the development and governance of international sport, influencing reform, sharing best practice and building collaborative partnerships that benefit the UK and the global sporting system. For this, we work closely with UK Government and national sporting agencies in the UK and overseas, enhancing the UK’s strategic relations around the world in sport as well as its international standing.
Our 2017-21 International Relations strategy revolves around the following objectives:
- Strengthening NGBs’ voice within their International Federations through the development of bespoke International Relations investment strategies
- Supporting credible, high calibre individuals from the UK to attain leadership positions in international sporting organisations
- Advocating and influencing for the highest standards of professional and ethical conduct in international sporting organisations
- Strengthening our alliances and developing partnerships between NGBs and strategic counterparts overseas
For more information on UK Sport’s International Relations work, please contact: international.relations@uksport.gov.uk