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FIFA: Secure Human Rights Protections for 2030 and 2034 Men’s World Cups as Bidding Deadline Passes
Sport & Rights Alliance Highlights Risks of Non-Competitive Process (Nyon, Switzerland, 31 October, 2023) — FIFA needs to secure clear and binding commitments to improve human rights in countries likely to host the 2030 and 2034 men’s football World Cup tournaments to prevent serious potential abuses linked to its flagship event, the Sport & Rights […]
FIFA Broke Own Human Rights Rules for World Cup Hosts
Saudi Arabia Shouldn’t be Rewarded for Its Repression (New York) – Global soccer governing body FIFA has broken its own human rights rules in announcing a plan for hosting the next two men’s World Cups that effectively eliminates bidding and human rights due diligence, Human Rights Watch said today. On October 4, FIFA announced that the 2030 World Cup will take place in Morocco, Portugal, […]
Olympics: Human Rights Amendments Should Be Implemented Without Exceptions
IOC Set to Vote on Proposed Changes to Olympic Charter (Nyon, Switzerland, 9 October 2023) – After years of public pressure and internal deliberations, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) is set to adopt amendments to the Olympic Charter in the coming days that include potentially game-changing references to internationally recognized human rights, the Sport & […]
Olympic Committee’s Rights Commitments Tested in India
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is holding its 140th annual session from October 15 to 17 in Mumbai, India, where the government is expected to announce its bid to host the 2036 Summer Olympic Games in the western state of Gujarat. India has never hosted the Olympics and the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi believes that now is […]
2022 Annual Report: Catalyzing the Power of Sport for Human Rights
The Sport & Rights Alliance was born out of a deep commitment to champion human rights and anti-corruption in and through global sport. Since our inception in 2015, we’ve embarked on a transformative journey to harness, organize and amplify the expertise of our partners to drive systemic change throughout the world of sport. 2022 was […]
Spanish Women Players Spotlight Crisis of Abuse
All Players Deserve Harassment-Free Work Environment When Spanish Football Federation President Luis Rubiales refused to step down after kissing Spanish football player and 2023 World Cup champion Jenni Hermoso without her consent, he instead justified his actions. In a speech to the general assembly of the Spanish Football Federation, Rubiales centered himself as the victim, blamed “false feminism” for […]
FIFA Must Show The Red Card To Sexual Abuse
The Goal Is A Safe Place To Work For Women And Teen Players The Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand is on track to become the most attended stand-alone women’s sporting event in history as 32 top women’s teams compete for the coveted title of World Champion. What fans of the sport don’t see is […]
Women’s World Cup Shows Equality Still Has A Long Way To Go
The 2023 Women’s World Cup tournament begins this week to great fanfare and broadcasting revenues estimated at close to $200 million. This is great news for the sport’s global governing body, the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA)— but not so great for the women players on the field. As a flagship event in women’s sport, the […]
FIFA: Letter Seeking Update on Safe Sport Entity Status and Timeline
(Nyon, Switzerland, July 19, 2023) – FIFA should urgently provide transparent and detailed information on its plans for an Independent Global Safe Sport Entity to address systemic sexual, emotional and physical abuse in sport and provide remedy and support to victims and survivors, the Sport & Rights Alliance (SRA) said today. In a letter to […]
Mali: Girls’ Coach Gets Life Ban for Sex Abuse
FIBA Punishes 5 Basketball Officials But Needs to Exclude Abusers, Protect Witnesses (New York) – The International Basketball Federation’s (FIBA) sanctions on top women’s basketball officials in Mali confirm the responsibility to remedy systemic abuse of young athletes, Human Rights Watch said today. But the appointment of another official suspected of abuse as head of the Mali Basketball […]
World Players Association Calls For Embedding Fundamental Labour Standards Across Sport At UN Conference
This week, the World Players Association (WPA) represented the player association movement at UNESCO’s MINEPS VII Global Sport Conference. The meeting in Baku, Azerbaijan, brought together hundreds of representatives from sport ministries from around the world, along with other key stakeholders, including UN agencies, sport governing bodies, brands and civil society. In a session dedicated […]
Landmark New Report Finds Trade Union Rights A Top Concern For Players Worldwide
A landmark survey released by the World Players Association (WPA) today uncovers that players face significant barriers to exercising their internationally recognized human rights to organize and to collectively bargain- #R2O – in global sport. The report titled, #R2O: Effective Athlete Representation in Global Sport 2023 outlines why #R2O is essential to the ability to effectively represent […]