International representatives from the sports, voluntary, media and business sectors joined forces at the first World Economic Forum's Global Agenda Sports Council summit in Dubai, as part of efforts to ensure communities around the world reap the benefits from sport.

The three-day summit was attended by 16 members, among them Central YMCA chief executive Rosi Prescott, FIFA president Joseph Blatter, commissioner of the National Basketball Association David Stern, Olympics Minister Tessa Jowell and CEO of Fox Sports Television David Hill. The newly formed council discussed how to develop sport into a key driver of the world economy. Other talks concentrated on sport's ability to create jobs in the commercial, voluntary and public sector and its influence on consumer spending.

The council also discussed sport's power to bridge cultural gaps, resolve conflict and reduce youth offending and agreed that professional sportspeople should work more closely with communities, through schools and youth clubs. Members also stressed the need for the profits generated by sport to be reinvested in developing grassroot activity programmes, to help reach the most impoverished and isolated communities.

The council also called for the creation of a global 'social entrepreneurship fund', so countries can share their experience of sport-related programmes having a positive social and financial impact on communities. Rosi Prescott, chief executive of Central YMCA, said: "We know sport is such a powerful force for good in our society. The challenge now is for countries around the world to unite behind the common goal of ensuring all communities can reap the benefits of sport. The meeting in Dubai was a very important first step towards achieving this.

"Sport and physical activity is key to strengthening global economies, not only through their ability to boost employment levels, but as a means of easing the pressure on national health services through its promotion of health and wellbeing. "As the world recession begins to bite, investing in programmes that empower people from all communities to take control of their health should become an even bigger priority."

The next meeting will be held in Davos, Switzerland, 28 January - 1 February 2009.