Human Rights Can No Longer Be Ignored by the World of Sport
“After years of fighting for global sport to recognize its impact and responsibility toward human rights, the year 2023 ushered in a new era – an era where human rights can no longer be ignored by sport governing bodies,” writes Andrea Florence, director of the Sport & Rights Alliance.
“With the Australia and New Zealand Women’s World Cup, this past year featured the first-ever mega sporting event to have human rights criteria included its Host Country Contract. We will see the same with this year with the EURO 2024 and the Paris Summer Olympics. On the heels of the 2022 Qatar Men’s World Cup, it’s also clear that public awareness for sport’s human rights problem has also never been higher. A YouGov opinion poll commissioned by our partner Amnesty International proves this with data – over 50% of people surveyed in 15 countries said they believe human rights should be a critical consideration in deciding who hosts major international sporting events.
“However, what 2023 has also proved is that policies and bidding processes are not enough – and maintaining the public’s faith that sport can and will be an authentic force for good is no small challenge.”
Read the rest of our director’s reflections and download the Sport & Rights Alliance’s 2023 Annual Report below.
