The topic of human rights in and through sport has been at the centre of the last three Council of Europe Conferences of Ministers responsible for Sport held in 2018, 2020-2021 and 2022. Also, the Council of Europe priorities in the field of sport for the years 2022-2025 place the protection of human rights in sport firmly on the agenda of governments and sports organisations and strive for major advances in the promotion of values-driven sport, in line with the revised European Sports Charter of 2021.
The Parliamentary Assembly has repeatedly stated that sports governance should aim at upholding human dignity and at fostering human rights, and that major sports events can be – and should become – a powerful tool to trigger true advances in the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms, throughout the whole process from the selection of the host countries to the organisation and running of the competitions and even after their end in terms of legacy.
Resolution 2420 (2022) “Football governance: business and values” calls for the establishment of stringent human rights conditionalities and a more rigorous compliance assessment in the bidding process to host major competitions. It also calls for enhanced protection of children and young athletes against violence and abuses in sports, and for stronger policies to counter discrimination and achieve gender equality.
The Assembly, following on from previous work, should keep on monitoring how these calls are implemented, and reaffirm that they apply to all sports, and not only to football. The Assembly should also strengthen co-operation with major international sport organisations and other relevant stakeholders, and work hand in hand with them to encourage concrete steps forward in the protection of human rights and the promotion of Council of Europe standards and values in and through sport.