Guidance for National Federations on Integrating Human Rights into Major Sporting Events
Authors -
Alison Biscoe
Centre for Sport and Human Rights
Coming Soon!
The Centre for Sport and Human Rights (CSHR), in collaboration with the Danish Institute for Human Rights (DIHR), is currently developing guidance to clarify the different roles and responsibilities around MSEs and ensure human rights due diligence and a human rights impact assessment are conducted as part of responsible event hosting, awarding and participating.
This guidance - to be released in early 2025 - is the outcome of an initiative championed by the National Olympic Committee and Sports Confederation of Denmark (Danmarks Idrætsforbund, DIF) in collaboration with the Swedish Sports Confederation (Riksidrottsförbundet) the Norwegian Olympic and Paralympic Committee and Confederation of Sport (Nordes Idrettsforbundet), the Finnish Olympic Committee (Suomen Olympiakomitea), the German Olympic Sports Confederation (Deutscher Olympischer Sportbund) and the National Olympic Committee and Sports Federation of the Netherlands, with the participation of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
This guidance helps national federations in particular clarify their roles and responsibilities in relation to major events, and also outlines what is reasonable to expect of international federations. It was also an opportunity to increase engagement within Northern Europe NOCS and to build their capacity to understand and address human rights. This guidance was developed by Northern European organisations, and highlights Northern European examples. Human rights principles are however universal, so the content is universally applicable and can be used by sport organisations globally.
Major (or mega) sporting events (MSEs) are the pinnacle of global sport. They are a moment of global unity and joy, but cannot stand apart from their very significant social impacts – both positive and negative. MSEs can enhance freedoms and celebrate human dignity, but can also amplify discrimination and abuse. International multi-sport competitions, World Championships, as well as smaller events are all significant for their hosts, but can also have impacts on the human rights of people and communities when not managed responsibly.
All organisations, including those in the world of sport, are responsible for respecting human rights. Through preventing potential negative human rights impacts linked to major events, and providing adequate remedies for abuses that do occur, all organisations involved in delivering a mega-sporting event can better harness sport’s potential for good.
The guidance introduces the key processes used to understand human rights risks - namely human rights due diligence and human rights impact assessments. It goes step-by-step through each stage of a major event lifecycle highlighting the roles and responsibilities of the myriad actors involved, including the potential risks that can occur at each different stage. The document concludes with guidance specifically for national federations on how to conduct impact assessments and use their leverage depending on what role they play in an event; that is to say whether they are organising, awarding or participating in an event.
The guidance is primarily intended for national federations, but the clarity it provides on roles and responsibilities can also be useful for international federations, governments, corporates and civil society.
Although this initiative is grounded in the practical experience and context of sport governing bodies established in the Nordics and Northern Europe, its final output will be aligned with international human rights standards and applicable at a global level.
The guidance supplements existing tools - including CSHR’s MSE Lifecycle Guide and DIHR’s Human Rights Impact Assessment Guidance - updating them with practical context. It should be followed as part of a broader approach to integrating human rights within organisational governance and risk management processes.
CSHR and DIHR conducted interviews with relevant stakeholders (including sport bodies, sponsors, broadcasters, civil society, cities, governments, and event organisers) identified by NOCs. Interviews with actors based in Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Norway, Germany and the Netherlands, were used to complement desk-top research and form the substance for the guidance.
