Ioanna Schimizzi: You were appointed a member of the Luxembourg Commission for Cooperation with Unesco in November. Is this a new job for you?

Sandra Heck: No, I would say it’s a new mission, in addition to my job at the Institut national de l’activité physique et des sports (Inaps), where I work on the specific subject of the social impact of sport & international collaboration.

Why do you think you have been chosen?

I work here in the division of sport management and social impact. Unesco’s work, of course, fits with social impact and my specialty is social impact. A second part of my work involves cooperation, so I already work with other national and international institutions [World Health Organization, Inter-Ministerial Committee for Equality between Women and Men, International Olympic Academy Participants Association, editor’s note].

What is the Luxembourg Commission for Cooperation with Unesco?

The Luxembourg Commission for Cooperation with Unesco is part of a global network and its mission is to promote Unesco’s objectives, programmes and actions in Luxembourg. These commissions aim to associate government bodies, public and private institutions, the university and school sector, and NGOs with Unesco projects concerning culture, science, education and communication.

How exactly does it work?

What is particularly interesting for me is that this commission responds to Unesco’s requests. So as Unesco represents different nations, if they have a request for us, we will be part of the working group helping and preparing what Unesco requires Before my appointment I have already contributed to--in the name of the sport ministry and Inaps together with the ministry for gender equality and diversity--the United Nations special request about ‘violence against women and girls, its causes and consequences’.

Why is this organisation really useful?

Because Unesco is a longtime and powerful institution, founded in 1945. It’s strongly related to sustainable development goals and international initiatives. I think the fact that it’s powerful and that it’s uniting so many different stakeholders from different countries is quite unique.

What are your goals as part of this commission?

I want to help [people] to understand that this subject of sport is about society and not just losing calories or attracting spectators in the stadiums. There is really a social impact--which is the core of my work.

Are there specific sports-related topics in Luxembourg?

Yes. For instance, after the Olympic Games in Paris, Luxembourg signed an agreement on sustainable development and sport. There are different topics, like equality and inclusion, health and nutrition. `I already have worked ten years ago on the ecological impact on sport events, and now it all fits together in the sustainability content on which I now work. I think there is still a lot to do in different areas. Unesco unites i.a. education, science and culture, and I believe that sport can benefit all these parts too.

This article was written for  issue of Paperjam, published on 11 December. The content is produced exclusively for the magazine. It is published on the website as a contribution to the complete Paperjam archive. .

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