News
Get the latest news and updates from our partners on the human rights issues in and around the world of sport.
SEARCH BY KEYWORD
SEARCH BY TAG
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 […]
Japan Passes Law to ‘Promote Understanding’ of LGBT People
Fight Continues for Comprehensive Nondiscrimination Legislation In June, the Japanese Diet, the national legislature of Japan, passed its first-ever law on sexual orientation and gender identity. It seeks to “promote understanding” and avoid “unfair discrimination.” The law states that “all citizens, irrespective of their sexual orientation and/or gender identity, are to be respected as individuals […]
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 […]
Global: Human Rights Should be Essential to FIFA’s Choice of World Cup 2030 Host
Opinion Poll Conducted in 15 Countries Shows a Majority of the Public Agree (Nyon, Switzerland, June 22, 2023) – A global coalition of human rights groups, trade unions, players and fans is urging FIFA to ensure that human rights are a primary consideration in choosing which countries can host the 2030 men’s football World Cup. […]
Olympics: Act on Sex Abuse Complaints by Indian Athletes
Sport & Rights Alliance Calls for Independent Investigation After Protesters Detained (Nyon, Switzerland) – The International Olympic Committee (IOC) should immediately act to ensure reports of alleged sexual abuse of athletes by the president of the Wrestling Federation of India, Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, are investigated fully, the Sport & Rights Alliance said today. In a statement on May […]
Switzerland: Parliament Must Ensure Respect for Human Rights by Sports Federations
Bern (6 June 2023) – Strong measures are needed to ensure that sports federations based in Switzerland comply with their human rights due diligence obligations, says Amnesty International. The human rights organization, together with the global coalition Sport & Rights Alliance, is calling on the Swiss Parliament to support two policy initiatives that seek to […]
Job Opening: Communications Intern – Apply by June 20th
Job Description: Communications Intern Start date: 1 July 2023 Location: Remote Duration: 6 (six) months Stipend: USD 1’500 (monthly), part-time (15 hours per week) Reporting to: Acting Director Application Deadline: 20 June 2023 Summary The Sport & Rights Alliance (SRA) is seeking a university student with proficiency in English and at least another […]
WNBA Stars Condemn Sex Abuse of Mali Players
Nearly 2 Years On, International Basketball Association Has Yet to Take Action (Nyon, Switzerland, March 29, 2023) – As March Madness plays out, star US women’s basketball players have spoken out to condemn sexual abuse of teenage athletes in Mali to spotlight the need for urgent action and systemic reform in international basketball, Human Rights […]
France: Intrusive Olympics Surveillance Technologies Could Usher in a Dystopian Future
French lawmakers must reject any plans to use video surveillance powered by artificial intelligence (AI) at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Such draconian technologies of mass surveillance violate the rights to privacy and can lead to violations of the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly. This could result into dystopian levels of surveillance in […]
Rights groups call on F1 to disclose human rights articles in F1 contracts amid concerns over ‘sportswashing’ in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia
F1 told to “meet victims” and use “all available leverage” to demand the release of political prisoners in Bahrain Comments Sayed Ahmed Alwadaei, Director of the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy (BIRD), commented: “The pressure is mounting on Formula One management to be transparent on its relationship with abusive authoritarian regimes. They must now […]
Qatar 2022: Press Briefing on LGBTI+ Rights, Women’s Rights and Press Freedom Ahead of the 2022 FIFA Men’s World Cup
Since FIFA awarded the 2022 Men’s World Cup to Qatar in 2010, the exploitation of migrant workers fueling the 220-billion-dollar infrastructure project became the center of human rights concerns about this mega sporting event – but it was by no means the only human rights issue at play. On the 9th of November 2022, eleven days […]