Letter: International Olympic Committee “Athletes’ Rights and Responsibilities Declaration”

Dr. Thomas Bach
President
International Olympic Committee
Av Général-Guisan 70
1009 Pully
Switzerland

October 2, 2018

Dear President Bach,

It has come to our attention that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) may adopt the now titled “The Athletes’ Rights and Responsibilities Declaration (Athletes’ Declaration)” this week at the 133rd IOC Session in Buenos Aires. While we support the intent of the initiative, we have several concerns regarding the pending adoption of the final document.

The failure to follow a best practice framework for developing and articulating the rights and responsibilities of athletes on this scale would undermine the very nature of the initiative’s intent. Based on the level of stakeholder engagement and lack of transparency in process to date, as well as the lack of a framework for the development of this document, we, as athletes and athlete representatives from across the world, are unable to support the Athletes’ Declaration should the IOC move forward.

In its current (public)[1] state, the Athletes’ Declaration falls short of expressing the full spectrum of human rights of athletes in sport, but also, and more importantly, as people. We believe the current Athletes’ Declaration is limiting and, to a large extent, unclear on definitions of rights and access to remedies should any of these rights be violated. Further, we are unclear as to how this document will be enforced and how it interacts with other onerous athlete obligations as participants in sport. We are not convinced that the athlete voice has been adequately sought out through the Athlete 365 feedback mechanism or otherwise, let alone fully integrated. Nor do we trust that the representatives forming the IOC AC, or a small group of international Olympians and Paralympians appointed to a steering committee, alone, represent a complete buy-in from the broader athlete community on such an important issue.

To build the legitimacy of this Athletes’ Declaration, we, the athletes, want to see a thorough review process by human and labour rights experts over and above the steering committee and various IOC staff currently developing the document. This is not a process that can be rushed to adoption in less than a year. The IOC must make it a priority to execute due diligence in the name of protecting the very people who are the heartbeat of sport – the athletes.

We therefore urge the IOC to postpone the adoption of this document until there is a comprehensive human rights policy within the organization that is entrenched in existing and recognized human rights standards; particularly, the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs), which, amongst other things, promote the fundamental process of benchmarking and risk assessment – a step that seems to be lacking in the development of the Athletes’ Declaration thus far.

We, the athletes, who have sacrificed and continue to sacrifice for a sport system we believe in, ask you now to take the necessary time to build a declaration that will protect us, that we can trust in, and that we can support.

We, the athletes, urge you to listen; the integrity of sport depends on it.

Sincerely,

AthletesCAN
British Athletes Commission
DOSB Athletes’ Commission
Track & Field Athletes Association
United States Olympic Committee Athletes’ Advisory Council

cc. Kirsty Coventry, Chair of the IOC Athletes’ Commission

Sarah Walker, Chair of the Steering Committee for the Athletes’ Rights and Responsibilities Declaration; IOC Athletes’ Commission member

Beckie Scott, Chair World Anti-Doping Agency Athlete Committee

Chiel Warners, World Anti-Doping Agency Athlete Committee Member

Marcus Hausen, IOC

Kaveh Mehrabi, IOC


[1] We have been refused access to the most up-to-date draft.

Related news

Letter to FIFA Re. Human Rights Responsibilities in 2026 World Cup

Letter to FIFA Re. Human Rights Responsibilities in 2026 World Cup

Human Rights Watch Letter to FIFA May 5, 2025 Gianni InfantinoPresidentFédération Internationale de Football AssociationFIFA-Strasse 20, P.O. Box 8044 Zurich, Switzerland Subject: FIFA’s Human Rights Responsibilities in 2026 World Cup Dear Mr. Infantino, We write to express grave concerns about the impact of current United States immigration policies on the 2026 FIFA World Cup and […]

READ MORE

Reporters Without Borders Joins Sport & Rights Alliance to Champion Press Freedom in Sport

Reporters Without Borders Joins Sport & Rights Alliance to Champion Press Freedom in Sport

Ensuring Safety and Rights of Journalists in Sports More Important than Ever (Amsterdam, June 9, 2025) – The Sport & Rights Alliance is proud to announce its newest partner, Reporters Without Borders (RSF), an international non-profit organization at the forefront of the defense and promotion of journalism and the right to information. This significant partnership underscores […]

READ MORE

Saudi Arabia: Migrant Domestic Workers Face Severe Exploitation, Racism and Exclusion from Labour Protections

Saudi Arabia: Migrant Domestic Workers Face Severe Exploitation, Racism and Exclusion from Labour Protections

Locked in, left out: the hidden lives of Kenyan domestic workers in Saudi Arabia Kenyan women hired as domestic workers in Saudi Arabia endure gruelling, abusive and discriminatory working conditions, which often amount to forced labour and human trafficking, Amnesty International said in a new report. The report highlights how employers subjected the women to […]

READ MORE

Related resources

Submission to UN Human Rights Report on Combating Discrimination and Violence Against Intersex Persons

Submission to UN Human Rights Report on Combating Discrimination and Violence Against Intersex Persons

Ensuring the Rights of Intersex Athletes to Safe, Inclusive Sports Environments The LGBTI community faces numerous, often unique challenges when it comes to their right to participate in sport. Discriminatory narratives, exclusionary policies, and pervasive online harassment are just a few of the significant obstacles that hinder their ability to engage and enjoy in sports […]

READ MORE

Video Series: “This is Not Part of the Game.”

Video Series: “This is Not Part of the Game.”

Exploring the research on violence in sports Watch the first of our three-part video series exploring scientific data on violence in sports: “This is Not Part of the Game.” Led by Dr Aurelie Pankowiak, postdoctoral researcher at the Institute for Health & Sport at Victoria Universityand athlete survivor from France, this project aims to collate […]

READ MORE

Join the Network

Sport has the potential to be a catalyst for human development, unity, and freedom, but too often it instead brings harm to its athletes, fans, and communities. We exist to uncover and rectify the many abuses that exist both in and around sport. We aim to transform sports into an authentic force for good.