Commonwealth Sports Ministers Meeting to be held ahead of Glasgow 2026 Games
The 12th Commonwealth Sports Ministers Meeting (CSMM) will take place in Glasgow, Scotland, on 22 July 2026, in the margins of the 2026 Commonwealth Games.
Held the day before the Opening Ceremony of the Games, the meeting will give ministers an opportunity to agree on practical priorities for using sport to advance development, inclusion, peace and prosperity across all 56 member countries.
Commonwealth Secretary-General, Hon Shirley Botchwey will join ministers, sporting partners and global sporting leaders at the meeting to discuss how sport can drive progress across health and governance, advance inclusion and gender equality, and attract investment for more resilient economies through stronger partnerships.
Speaking ahead of the meeting, Secretary-General Shirley Botchwey said:
“Sport is one of the Commonwealth’s greatest shared assets. It brings people together across borders, cultures and generations, and it inspires excellence, discipline and values that strengthen our societies.
“As ministers gather in Glasgow, and as athletes prepare to compete at the Commonwealth Games, our meeting is an important opportunity to examine how sport can deliver practical benefits for our 2.7 billion citizens, especially young people, women and girls and persons with disabilities.
“This is about more than competition. Through the 12th Commonwealth Sports Ministers Meeting, we are harnessing the power of sport to build a more inclusive, resilient and prosperous Commonwealth.”
The Commonwealth Sports Ministers Meeting will be chaired by Ms Maree Todd MSP, Scottish Government Minister for Mental Wellbeing, Public Health, Sport, Alcohol and Drugs. The meeting will convene under the theme ‘Reimagining the power of sport: towards healthier, fairer and equitable Commonwealth communities.’
Welcoming ministers to Glasgow, the Scottish Government Minister, Ms Maree Todd said:
“Scotland is proud to host Glasgow 2026 and to welcome Ministers to the 12th Commonwealth Sport Minister’s Meeting. This meeting will focus on the re-imagined Games and the opportunities this new model brings to the Commonwealth. Through these important discussions we will draw on key areas of focus for sport and physical activity in Scotland, including addressing inequalities in participation, and using sport to improve public health.
“This is about turning ambition into action, and I look forward to meeting with Ministers to ensure sport delivers lasting benefits for communities across the Commonwealth.”
In Glasgow, ministers will review progress against agreed Commonwealth priorities and consider a new, more structured approach to strengthening collaboration and impact in sport – from the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, through to the Malta 2027 Commonwealth Youth Games, and ahead of the Commonwealth Games Amdavad 2030.
Alongside the meeting, the Commonwealth Gather, Adjust, Prepare, Sustain (GAPS) camp will bring together athletes, ministers and sporting partners on 21 July 2026 at the University of the West of Scotland to advance Commonwealth cooperation on sport and inclusive development.
The Commonwealth Secretary-General will also attend the Opening Ceremony of the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games and present medals on the first day of the Games.
The Meeting’s outcomes will help shape the sport-related discussion during the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, which will be held in Antigua and Barbuda in November of this year.
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