Diverse Coalition Commits to Establishing Centre for Sport & Human Rights in 2018

On the eve of international Human Rights Day (December 10th), a commitment was made today to launch a new independent Centre for Sport and Human Rights in 2018.

Announced at the Sporting Chance Forum in Geneva, the planned Centre will be the first of its kind, aimed at helping build a world of sport that protects, respects, and upholds the human rights of athletes, workers, communities, children, fans, volunteers, and the press.

The Centre plans are backed by a diverse coalition, including FIFA, the International Olympic Committee, Commonwealth Games Federation, and UEFA, as well as a range of intergovernmental organisations, governments, athletes, hosts, sponsors, broadcasters, civil society representatives, trade unions, employers associations, and national human rights institutions.

This broad coalition known currently as the Mega-Sporting Events Platform for Human Rights (MSE Platform), today published a joint statement affirming their commitment to establish a Centre that will help to share knowledge, build capacity, and ensure transparency and accountability of the range of actors involved in sport and mega-sporting events.

The opening session of the Sporting Chance Forum also included speeches from the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, the Secretary General of the International Labour Organization (ILO) Guy Ryder, and the President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Thomas Bach, and was broadcast live.

Read the full Joint Statement here (and in French and German).