C Explanatory memorandum
by Mr Kim Valentin, rapporteur
1 Introduction
1. On 25 April 2023, along with
other members, I tabled a motion for a resolution, on “Protecting
human rights in and through sport: obligations and shared responsibilities”
(
Doc 15750), which was referred to the Committee on Culture, Science,
Education and Media for report.
3. Sports governance should aim to uphold human dignity and foster
human rights, and sports events 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.
4. Resolution 2420
(2022) and
Recommendation
2221 (2022) “Football governance: business and values” call for
the establishment of stringent human rights conditionalities and
a more severe compliance assessment in the bidding process to host
major competitions. They also call for enhanced protection of children
and young athletes against violence and abuse in sports, and for
stronger policies to counter discrimination and achieve gender equality.
5. My report intends to follow up on those issues in particular
how these calls are implemented in all sports, not
only in football, in close co-operation with major international
sports organisations and other relevant stakeholders.
6. I held two online meetings with International Olympic Committee
(IOC) staff on 29 November 2023, on recent developments in safe
sport, and on 29 February 2024, on human rights and gender equality,
which have informed this memorandum.
7. The Committee on Culture, Science, Education and Media has
organised four hearings over the past two years,
Note focusing respectively on the three areas
discussed in this report namely “safe sport”, fighting against violence
and abuse in sport; the promotion of gender equality in sport; and
human rights conditionalities and compliance assessment in the bidding
process to host major competitions, with the participation of experts as
well as sports federations.
8. On 4-5 November 2024, in Athens, the Assembly, in co-operation
with the Hellenic Parliament, organised a
parliamentary
conference entitled “Promoting safety, equality, integrity and
inclusion in sport
”. The event
brought together parliamentarians, policy makers, athletes, sport
organisations, and experts from various fields to explore the multifaceted
dimensions of sport.
9. As part of a fact-finding visit ahead of the Assembly’s debate
on sport in June 2025, on 21 May 2025, an Assembly delegation visited
FIFA (International Federation of Association Football) Headquarters,
in Zurich, for in-depth discussions with FIFA leadership and experts.
The exchange focused on key issues addressed in my report, particularly
the need for robust human rights conditionalities in the awarding
and organisation of major international sporting events, including
the 2034 FIFA World Cup in Saudi Arabia. The delegation welcomed
FIFA’s openness to dialogue, while underscoring the importance of
stronger safeguards to ensure that sport consistently upholds human
rights, dignity, inclusion and democratic values.
Note
2 Call for global unity in the battle
against abuse in sport
2.1 Understanding
violence and abuse in sport
10. The first hearing took place
on 1 June 2023, in London, upon the invitation of the UK Parliament,
and focused on ending exploitation, abuse and harassment in sport,
with the participation of several sports organisations, athletes
and other relevant stakeholders.
Note
11. The Committee on Culture, Science, Education and Media heard
powerful personal testimonies from victims of abuse in sport, as
well as the steps being taken by top sports governing bodies to
ensure a safe environment for players and athletes, and their pledges
to do more.
12. The debates highlighted that sexual, physical and emotional
abuse in sport is serious and widespread and athletes increasingly
denounce emotional abuse as being part of sport culture. Two prominent
athletes and victims of sexual abuse, Olivia Jasriel and Patrice
Evra, speaking before our committee, work tirelessly to bring sexual
perpetrators in the sporting world to justice.
Note They called on sporting bodies to
break taboos and confront child abuse,
Note and on public authorities in
general and parliamentarians in particular to take urgent and more
resolute action to fight impunity, protect the victims and the witnesses
of violence, prevent future abuse and find a global unified solution
for all sports.
13. Alexandre Husting, Chair of the Governing Board of the Council
of Europe’s Enlarged Partial Agreement on Sport (EPAS) explained
how EPAS supports public authorities responsible for sport and sports organisations
to implement this action for the prevention of violence and the
protection of victims.
14. Sadly, just like in other sectors of society, the cases reported
are only the tip of the iceberg, as most victims prefer not to report
because of fear, shame, ignorance, taboos, a culture of “toxic masculinity”
in some sports,
Note and lack of access to or trust in
the reporting systems. Many victims denounce being exposed to threats
and revictimisation due to the absence of trauma-informed professionals
and support. The failure of public authorities, sport bodies, civil
society organisations and other stakeholders to create a safe and empowering
environment for all results in many victims and witnesses fearing
to report violence.
15. The hearing highlighted the devastating and lasting consequences
for the victims, including injuries, impaired physical development,
loss of self-esteem, poor academic and sporting performance, distorted
body image, eating disorders, self-harm, depression, anxiety and
substance use disorders. In extreme cases, victims are compelled
to stop practising their sport; in the very worse situations abuse
has also led to death.
16. For sports organisations, violence may result in criminal
and other sanctions, expose poor governance, seriously damage their
reputation and lead to a loss of talent and income due to a trust
deficit in the ability and willingness to create a safe environment.
2.2 Tackling
violence in sport at national and international level: a human right
imperative
17. Public authorities, sports
organisations and other stakeholders must seek to ensure that sport
becomes a safe and empowering environment for all, compliant with
and a promoter of human rights, protecting the most vulnerable groups
in society, including children, LGBTIQ athletes, athletes with disabilities,
elite athletes, and women.
18. EPAS is actively working to combat abuse and violence in
sport through its intergovernmental networks and the revised
European
Sports Charter, and promotes dialogue between public authorities, sports federations
and NGOs to make sport more ethical, inclusive, and safe. The EPAS
“Start
to Talk” project is supporting national authorities in developing
roadmaps for the implementation of child safeguarding policies, including
the setting up of Child Safeguarding Officer roles in sport.
Note
19. The International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) strategy
Note to strengthen safeguarding in sport
at local level and provide support for athletes, is to take a bottom-up
approach that can be adapted at local level. It started with the
establishment of two pilot regional safeguarding hubs in Southern
Africa and the Pacific Islands. The IOC is also supporting the initial
work for a European safeguarding hub. These hubs are acting as central
co-ordination points, providing athletes with independent guidance,
and helping them access psychosocial support, and legal aid, through
existing local services, in the athletes’ own language and with
an understanding of their culture and local context. They will be
overseen by an International Safe Sport Task Force, also on the basis
of an International Safe Sport Framework, which will draw on existing
international standards and set out the different roles of States
and sports bodies.
Note
20. “FIFA’s
Strategic Objectives 2024-27” sets out FIFA’s commitment to promote safe sport as
part of broader efforts to protect human rights. The FIFA Guardians
programme of the FIFA Safeguarding and Child Protection Department
provides a framework to support the 211 member associations to lower
the risk of harm to everyone, including children, in football and
respond appropriately.
Note FIFA has also
integrated safeguarding protocols in the organisation of its world
cups,
Note and
is working to strengthen safeguarding standards at football academies
around the world, including in the FIFA Football for Schools programme,
implemented in over 100 countries.
21. For the past years, FIFA has explored the establishment of
an independent entity to support investigations into abuse in sport.
Such an entity would support ongoing efforts to develop national
solutions to ensure cases of abuse in sport are addressed across
all levels and in all countries. A multistakeholder Interim Steering
Group was appointed to consider the creation of such an entity together
with seven international sports federations and, on 1 June 2023,
it issued a
final
report with high-level recommendations to the founding sports
federations. In London, FIFA reiterated its call on the sporting
and political worlds to unite in tackling the multitude of problems
currently being faced.
Note In December 2024, FIFA announced
the establishment of a Safe Football Support Unit to offer specialist
advice and support to victims of violence in football, under the
guidance of an independent panel supported by special advisors and
a victim advisory group.
Note
22. Several international sports federations have taken action
by developing a safeguarding policy. Ashley Ehlert, Deputy Secretary
General of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) identified
violence as “the biggest threat to sport that we will ever face”
and pointed to a “toxic culture IIHF is determined to stamp out”. The
integrity campaign helped the federation to uncover gaps and understand
what further work is needed at local level (coach education, strengthening
rules, etc.). However, she deemed that a level of international involvement
will be crucial to create an effective system.
Note
23. Other notable examples include World Athletics (WA), which
called on every member federation to have its own safeguarding policy
and procedures in place by the end of 2023, offering guidance, reporting
forms and training courses.
Note A December 2023
study also identified and addressed abusive and threatening
behaviour of a racist or sexualised nature aimed at athletes on
the X and Instagram social media platforms. Ahead of the 2024 Olympic
Games, WA also invested in artificial intelligence (AI) systems
to further protect athletes from online abuse, educated athletes
and supported further research to tackle hate speech and violence
in sport. A new AI-powered cyber abuse protection service was also
put in place during the 2024 Paris Games by the IOC.
Note
24. NGOs are active in this field and Ms Maud De Boer Buquicchio,
former Chairperson of the NGO End Child Prostitution, Child Pornography
and Trafficking of Children for Sexual Purposes (ECPAT) presented relevant
data on the prevalence and characteristics of interpersonal violence
against children inside and outside sport in six European countries.
Note Research
on the prevalence and impact of violence in sport is needed in the
Global South, where prevalence of abuse might be higher, and obstacles
to reporting almost unsurmountable, with potentially over 200 million
child victims of sexual violence in sport.
25. Proposed changes in sports governance and regulations include
measures to embed human rights and victims’ voices in the operations
and governance of all sport bodies, also through the promotion of
an international safe sport framework embedded in the International
Olympic Code. Safeguarding must be strengthened at national level
and in international competitions and athletes should access independent
and safe reporting systems, with the support of the international
community and all sports.
2.3 Call
for action
26. The clear message emerging
from the hearing was that governments and sports bodies must work together
to reinforce prevention, better protect the victims, and fight impunity.
This can be done through:
- embedding
human rights and good governance standards in sports governance
and operations, including through an international safe sport code
to be signed by sports organisations, similar to the World Anti-Doping
Code or the Olympic Movement Code on the Prevention of the Manipulation
of Competitions;
- implementing safeguarding policies, including prevention,
protection, and safe reporting systems:
-
a at national level,
bringing together all key stakeholders, as sports do not operate
in a vacuum and must respect the national legal system and connect
with protection and support services at national level;
b in the context of international competitions;
- creating independent safe sport entities at national and
at international level, or integrate this competence in existing
agencies, to provide support and protection to victims and to secure
trauma-informed and human rights compliant investigations;
- establishing, under national legislation, the obligation
for sports organisations providing sports and activities for children
to appoint a child safeguarding officer;
- co-operating to promote vetting and safe recruitment,
minimising the risk of convicted abusers getting jobs in other countries
or sports;
- including children and victims of abuse in sport and their
advocates in the design, implementation and evaluation of strategies,
policies and measures;
- leveraging the power and potential public outreach of
sport to raise awareness, empower and move to action to challenge
tolerance of violence and toxic masculinity and to promote a safe,
and inclusive sport, through education programmes;Note
- organising parliamentary hearings at national level to
gather data, analyse gaps in legislation and policies, and promote
safeguarding and measures to increase accountability, including
a global safe sport entity.
27. The IOC should be encouraged to support solutions both at
national level, by strengthening safeguarding and proper case management,
and at international level, through the creation of an independent, global,
multisport entity to support victims and investigate cases under
the jurisdiction of international sports federations.
28. All international sports federations should be encouraged
to:
- strengthen safeguarding
policies, use codes, regulations, accreditations, and other incentives
to make sure that they are implemented and monitored;
- make training on safeguarding compulsory for coaches and
referees, and for people in regular contact with children;
- review the way in which investigations and disciplinary
procedures are conducted to make sure that they are trauma-informed
and victim-centred;
- give victims access to trusted reporting and protection
systems, accepting increased accountability through multisports
solutions such as independent safe sport entities at national level and
an independent global safe sport entity;
- include victims in governance and operations;
- reinforce multistakeholder co-operation.
29. Governments, sport bodies and other stakeholders should also:
- make full use of multistakeholder
platforms such as EPAS to address these issues and to further invest in
the development of safeguarding policies and advice on human rights-compliant
vetting and safe recruitment measures. EPAS should furthermore provide
guidance and tools to strengthen the protection of children in sport,
including as regards the establishment of national safe sport entities;
- carry out further research and data collection and support
studies on sexual violence in sport in the Global South, also including
other forms of violence such as neglect, harassment, extreme forms
of training, inappropriate training methods, etc.;
- empower and safely engage with victims of abuse when designing,
implementing and evaluating projects, strategies and measures;
- launch a major awareness-raising campaign using in particular
major sport events and involving elite athletes.
3 Countering
discrimination and achieving gender equality in sport
30. The Committee on Culture, Science,
Education and Media held a second hearing in Copenhagen on 27 May
2024, with the participation of Ms Charlotte Girard-Fabre, Secretary
General of the International Federation for Sports Officials (IFSO)
and Chair of the EPAS Consultative Committee at the Council of Europe, Ms Nagin
Ravand, UEFA licensed football coach, GLOBALL, Denmark, and Ms Annaliza
Tsakona, Senior International Relations and Public Affairs Manager,
FIFA.
31. Discrimination and violence have no place in sport, which
has the capacity to be an important vector of gender equality, inclusion
and the fight against gender violence.
32. Resolution 2465 (2022) “The fight for a level playing field – Ending
discrimination against women in the world of sport
”, based on the report by Ms Edite
Estrela (Portugal, SOC), documented considerable progress for the
participation of women and girls in sport. However, violence, sexism,
gender-based discrimination and inequalities in pay and status remain
and make it difficult for women to safely practice sport. The resolution
not only issued a strong call to fight against violence but also
urged sports federations to commit to actively promote gender equality
and to invest in the development of women's sport, both at professional
and non-professional levels.
33. The joint European Union – Council of Europe
“All
In Plus” project aims to tackle gender imbalance in sport (collecting
data in 21 jurisdictions and creating an online library of best
practice examples, as well as addressing the scarce and often biased
media coverage of women’s sports, providing media information sessions
on gender equality to media professionals), in co-operation with
the IOC and the European Broadcasting Union (EBU).
34. The standardised indicators
Note should
be used globally to collect data allowing for comparability of information
and the Council of Europe’s Sport Division is working collaboratively
with other bodies collecting data globally in the area of equality
in sport. Tailor-made training is also necessary to ensure that
across all levels (national, grassroots sports, etc.) there is greater
awareness about unconscious bias and the need for gender parity
in sport.
35. The Council of Europe has also done important work on
protecting
and promoting the human rights of intersex and transgender athletes in sport competitions and is preparing an educational
toolkit to this end. The IOC Framework on Fairness Inclusion and
Non-Discrimination on the Basis of Gender Identity and Sex Variations
is also an important reference in this area. Effective measures
must be taken to prevent, counteract and punish the use of discriminatory
insults with reference to sexual orientation or gender identity
during and in connection with sports events.
36. On 29 February 2024, I had the opportunity to discuss the
IOC gender equality strategy, online, with Ms Charlotte Groppo,
IOC Head of Gender Equality, Diversity and Inclusion. Building on
the
Olympic
Agenda 2020, the IOC has fixed two key commitments to help create
a more gender-equal world through sport in 2024:
consolidate
the Olympic Games as one of the most effective global platforms for promoting
gender equality, inclusion and diversity (50% participation in the
Olympic Games Paris 2024); support the acceleration of
women’s
meaningful representation in governance, leadership and decision-making bodies in the Olympic Movement.
37. The IOC’s ambition will continue with Olympic Games Milano
Cortina 2026, the most gender equal Olympic Winter Games with 47%
of female athlete participation and in Olympic Games Los Angeles
2028 where not only the number of quota allocation are gender balanced,
but all the team sports will have at least the same number of men
and women’s teams. The IOC will pursue its ambition to promote gender
equality in and through sport beyond the field of play, supporting
grassroots organisations in eliminating barriers for women and girls
to access to sport and the Olympic movement in having more balanced
decision-making bodies.
38. In Copenhagen, Ms Girard-Fabre presented the results of the
“All in Plus” project and stressed the need to promote the visibility
of diversity in all sporting events, and to address intersectional
discrimination. Ms Ravand, for her part, highlighted the SELF ambassador
training programme, which had already trained 11 ambassadors to
become role models for young girls in football.
39. FIFA regulations include mandatory rules about maternity leave,
pregnancy, leave entitlements in case of adoption, breastfeeding,
menstrual health, and many more.
Note For FIFA
Women’s World Cup 2023, the organisation invested USD 499 million,
a 218% increase compared to the 2019 edition. It also aligned the conditions
and services for the Women’s World Cup 2023 to
the same standards as those in place for the men’s FIFA World Cup
Qatar 2022 (i.e. number of delegates per team, the level of international
and domestic travel, accommodation standards, team base camps and
facilities, etc.), which was a positive step in the right direction,
though more can still be done. President Infantino also emphasised
the goal of achieving equal pay for men's and women's World Cups
by 2026 and 2027, urging broadcasters and sponsors to offer equitable support,
an objective the Assembly should fully endorse.
4 Human
rights conditionalities and compliance assessment in the bidding
process to host major competitions
40. On 4 December 2024, in Paris,
the Committee on Culture, Science, Education and Media held a third hearing
with the participation of Mr Niels Lindholm, Compliance and Risk
Officer at World Athletics; Mr Stephen Cockburn, Deputy Director
and Head of Economic and Social Justice at Amnesty International
UK, and representative of the Sport & Rights Alliance; and Mr Alexandre
Husting, Chairperson of the Governing Board of the Council of Europe’s
EPAS. The hearing was complemented by FIFA’s input, on 12 March
2025, in Paris, with the participation of Mr Andreas Graf, social
responsibility advisor and Ms Annaliza Tsakona, senior international
relations and public affairs manager.
41. Paragraph 20 of
Resolution
2420 (2022) “
Football
governance: business and values” called on FIFA and UEFA to review the conditions that
countries bidding to host major football events must meet in terms
of safeguarding human rights and to provide for, if they do not
already:
“- a thorough, contextual
human rights compliance assessment as one of the key criteria for
accepting any country’s bid; this assessment should be based on
up-to-date reports from the relevant international institutions
and/or independent non-governmental organisations recognised for
their competence in the field; in the case of Council of Europe
member States, reports and analyses by the Organisation’s monitoring
bodies on compliance with key human rights standards should be taken
into account;
- the requirement to comply with predetermined minimum
standards on, for example, workers’ (including migrants’) rights,
gender equality (including in sport, but also elsewhere), protecting
athletes of minor age from sexual abuse and all forms of violence,
combating discrimination in sport and safeguarding fundamental civil
and political rights, in particular freedom of expression – including
media freedom – and freedom of peaceful assembly, both as regards
staging the competitions in question and otherwise;
- the identification, as part of the thorough assessment,
of the measures required to meet the minimum standards set out above,
with a timetable for implementation which countries should adhere
to for their bids to be considered, and a human rights action plan
which countries must pledge to follow if they win the bidding process;
as regards workers’ rights, the ILO’s role should be systematically
highlighted and host countries should commit to co-operating with
the ILO to draw up and carry out the necessary reforms;
- the binding nature of these commitments not only by
national associations but also – and especially – by host countries’
governments, given their role in ensuring respect for human rights
by all public bodies and by any private operator under their jurisdiction
involved in organising the event in question;
- the setting up of effective mechanisms for monitoring
compliance with the commitments made, including specific procedures
for regular assessment by independent external stakeholders of the responses
to human rights risks involved in staging the event, as well as
mechanisms for direct dialogue with the public authorities of the
host countries to analyse and solve any problems;
- the accessibility of effective remedies in host countries,
with independent bodies empowered to investigate, punish and redress
any human rights violations;
- the imposition of appropriate penalties on host countries
and their national associations in the event of failure to comply
with the commitments made or to implement follow-up measures required
by monitoring bodies, which must include taking the decision to
relocate the competition in question to a different country.”
42. The present report is also a follow-up to this resolution
and, building on the proposals therein, is aimed at fostering strong
human rights conditionalities for all major sports events, not only
in football.
43. Resolution 2420
(2022) sets detailed practical recommendations for FIFA and
UEFA that should be extended to other major sporting bodies to ensure
compliance with human rights as well as social and environmental
obligations of host countries. The aim of the resolution and the
present report is in line with the principles of the European Sport
Charter revised in 2021, which refers to the respect of human rights
when bidding to host sporting events, but also throughout the entire
lifecycle of events.
44. FIFA has been requiring, publishing and implementing human
rights commitments and plans for the bidding processes and delivery
of its major events since 2017.
Note UEFA
takes a leadership position in major events, with recent best in
class practices in this area including the Human Rights Declaration
for UEFA EURO 2024 signed in 2023 between UEFA and the German Football
Association (DFB) in which UEFA and the other parties to the declaration
undertook to respectively uphold and protect human rights through
a comprehensive set of measures to ensure the well-being and safety
of all participants.
Note Building on cooperation with key stakeholders,
this summer’s UEFA Women’s EURO 2025 in Switzerland again features
a formal multi-agency dedicated human rights declaration, with the
Council of Europe officially participating as a member of the UEFA Women’s
EURO 2025 Human Rights Advisory Board alongside representatives
from civil society, diversity and inclusions experts, public authorities,
national associations and former players to ensure a wide range
of perspectives and a comprehensive approach to human rights protection.
45. Progress has been made in integrating human rights obligations
into bidding regulations and hosting agreements for events such
as the FIFA World Cup, the Olympic Games, the UEFA Euro and international competitions
organised by World Athletics, which was also discussed at the December
2024 hearing. However, according to human rights organisations,
these measures still lack clarity, enforceability and transparency. Human
rights policies are currently limited to a few major sports organisations,
and many sporting events are still awarded without robust human
rights criteria in the bidding process. Greater transparency in
decision making and in the monitoring of compliance with human rights
requirements is therefore needed, as strengthening human rights
conditionalities in bidding processes is essential to ensure that
major sporting events uphold the values they claim to represent.
46. Lack of enforceability remains a major issue. In most cases,
individual rights holders cannot directly enforce the adopted provisions
on human rights obligations, as they are not parties to the agreements
resulting from the implementation of the bidding and hosting regulations.
Only the international sporting bodies as the rights owners and
the host organisations are entitled to challenge the implementation
and fulfilment of such clauses and to take legal action in case
of breach of contractual obligations. Therefore, these provisions
do not effectively provide additional avenues for those affected
by human rights abuses related to major sporting events to claim
their rights and to obtain compensation.
Note FIFA
requires host countries to ensure access to effective remediation
within their jurisdiction in line with these countries’ obligations
under international law and has provided for separate grievance
mechanisms informed by its responsibility under the UN Guiding Principles.
Note
47. Recent bidding processes for some major international sports
events, including the 2034 FIFA World Cup, Saudi Arabia’s uncontested
bid, which was officially awarded on 11 December 2024, have sparked widespread
controversy.
Note In the case of the 2030 and 2034
FIFA World Cup bids, the independent human rights assessments carried
out by Amnesty International and the Sports & Rights Alliance
identified significant risks for both tournaments, including issues
related to policing, discrimination, workers’ rights and forced evictions.
Note The human rights strategies submitted
by the host entities were deemed insufficient, in their views, lacking
meaningful commitments or consultation with stakeholders.
48. For Saudi Arabia’s 2034 bid, the risks were described as severe,
including exploitation of migrant workers, discrimination against
supporters, forced evictions and repression of journalists and activists. Amnesty
recommended that the 2034 process be halted because Saudi Arabia’s
human rights strategy was inadequate and failed to address key risks.
FIFA’s assessment has been described as an “astonishing whitewash”
and accused of ignoring well-documented issues to justify predetermined
outcomes.
Note
49. On 3 December 2024, the Chairperson of the Committee on Culture,
Science, Education and Media, Ms Helleland, sent a letter to President
Infantino urging FIFA to set clear and enforceable rules for Saudi Arabia,
as well as for any other host country, while also inviting FIFA
representatives to participate in an in-person meeting.
Note
50. In its reply of 10 January 2025, FIFA’s Secretary General,
Mattias Grafström, reaffirmed FIFA’s commitment to human rights,
transparency and inclusivity in addressing those concerns. In his
view, the bidding process was fair, transparent and in line with
international human rights standards, focusing on progress, based
on clear requirements, rather than exclusion. FIFA has integrated
human rights requirements in its bidding and hosting documents since
2017, requiring bidders to provide a human rights context assessment
developed by an independent and competent entity, a human rights
strategy informed by the context assessment, as well as several
human rights-related guarantees and commitments from host governments.
This included technical guidance by the UN Human Rights office.
51. Saudi Arabia’s bid included commitments on labour rights,
diversity, security, and freedom of expression, as outlined in the
“Human Rights Strategy in connection with the 2034 FIFA World Cup”
of July 2024.
Note FIFA views these commitments
as a strong basis to implement programmes to address human rights risks
associated with the competition. It also believes the tournament
can act as a catalyst for wider reforms in the host country.
52. This was also the focus of our discussions during the meeting
in Zurich on 21 May 2025, of the Assembly delegation with FIFA leadership
and experts. While the adoption of human rights criteria in bidding
regulations remains essential, such requirements can be rendered
ineffective if sports organisations prioritise other objectives
over human rights. International sports governing bodies should
therefore ensure that human rights considerations are an important
factor when deciding on the hosting rights of their competition
and use their leverage with bidders in appropriate ways. The delegation
asked FIFA to clarify its human rights risk assessments for Saudi
Arabia, pressing for independent monitoring, concrete protections
for vulnerable groups during the 2034 World Cup, and clear consequences
for non-compliance – areas that remain uncertain at this stage.
53. The Committee on Culture, Science, Education and Media greatly
appreciates FIFA’s openness to dialogue and its regular participation
in hearings and bilateral discussions. The aim of my report, and
of the Assembly’s dialogue with sports federations in general, is
not to attack them but to help promote the robustness of these requirements
and processes.
54. World Athletics, which has also shown great commitment and
openness to dialogue, has strengthened its commitment to human rights
by integrating them into its governance, policies and event regulations.
Its Human Rights Working Group shifted the focus to the impact of
decisions on individuals, under the oversight of the Risk Committee.
A human rights policy, published in 2024, ensures fairness and equity
in key decisions, including sponsorship. Eligibility rules for transgender
and DSD (differences of sex development) athletes in elite female
competitions have been informed by stakeholder consultations, while
grassroots participation remains open to all. Human rights assessments
are now part of bids to host events, vetting officials and assessing
labour conditions.
55. World Athletics’ safeguarding measures include anti-abuse
protocols and protection from online harassment. Gender equality
efforts have increased female leadership in athletics federations
and achieved gender parity on boards. Youth participation programmes
have reached 500 000 children worldwide, including in conflict zones.
Athletes can respectfully express political views. Recommendations
include fostering inter-regional dialogue on sport and human rights,
particularly in emerging economies, and supporting smaller federations
through collaborative forums. World Athletics remains committed
to making events safe and will continue its engagement with the
Council of Europe.
56. Among other examples, the IOC makes available a grievance
mechanism for anyone affected during the Olympic Games. The
Integrity
and Compliance Hotline enables participants to report cases of competition manipulation,
abuse and harassment, infringements of the IOC Code of Ethics and
other integrity issues, and press freedom violations. The hotline
is complemented by the
IOC
framework for safeguarding athletes and other participants from
harassment and abuse in sport during the Olympic Games. The IOC’s early-stage bidding
process for the 2036 Olympics, which includes high-risk bids, equally
requires greater transparency and consultation.
57. At the same time, the international scrutiny associated with
the organisation of mega-sporting events in high-risk areas can
put pressure on governments of host countries to reform, as seen
in the case of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, where labour conditions
(minimum wage, improvements in health and safety legislation) improved
in the run-up to the tournament, as the result of pressure from
various actors, including the media, trade unions, football associations
and sponsors.
58. As an example, when Qatar’s bid was evaluated in 2010, neither
human rights nor labour rights were considered and FIFA included
detailed human rights requirements in 2017. That said, Qatar committed
to the protection of human rights as part of their workers’ welfare
programme established after 2013,
Note as
well as the joint Sustainability Strategy with FIFA. In previous
reports, whilst highlighting human rights challenges in Qatar, the
Assembly recognised the work conducted by FIFA and Qatar in the
context of the tournament, including by stating that “FIFA’s efforts
but also the great work of the ILO [International Labour Organization],
of the international trade union movement and of other organisations
active in Qatar are to be praised”.
Note With regard to the
Saudi Arabia bid for the 2034 FIFA World Cup, past experience highlights
the need for early reforms, drawing on the lessons learnt in Qatar.
59. There is an urgent need for stronger independent mechanisms
to monitor and evaluate human rights compliance at major sporting
events via two means: either by defining specific criteria and establishing
an evaluation mechanism or by urging the organisers to formulate
and adopt their own criteria. Even systems based on “name and shame”,
without legal consequences, to exert moral pressure by holding stakeholders accountable
to agreed standards, have proved effective in past.
60. While the Council of Europe has produced guidelines and recommendations
on sports governance, only three of its instruments are legally
binding and include robust follow-up mechanisms, such as evaluation
visits and monitoring committees: the conventions on anti-doping,
safety, security and service at sport events and manipulation of
sports competitions.
Note The lack of robust follow-up mechanisms
and the clear limitations of existing ones are significant problems.
To ensure an effective ongoing evaluation of compliance, available options
include self-assessment by member States or more formal systems
with defined rules, criteria and active monitoring.
61. In the case of the Council of Europe’s EPAS platform, sports
organisations participate in the drafting of EPAS recommendations,
but their implementation relies mainly on moral persuasion. While
stakeholders agree to principles such as non-discrimination, good
governance and athlete health during the drafting process, there
is usually no formal accountability, as the main addressees are
member States. As discussed at the December 2024 hearing, the “name
and shame” approach could be a useful next step to remind stakeholders
of their involvement in the drafting of these documents and to hold
them publicly accountable. For non-binding policy, this approach
represents the maximum achievable level of follow-up.
62. While our Assembly acknowledges the open and regular dialogue
with FIFA, which is also very actively involved in Council of Europe
conventional sectors as well as on safeguarding and gender equality,
the Committee on Culture, Science, Education and Media also believes
that granting FIFA membership to EPAS, as is the case for UEFA and
other sport organisations, would further benefit bilateral relations.
63. The analysis of the current situation also highlights the
limits of the Council of Europe’s influence beyond Europe. While
European members generally adhere to gender equality policies, non-discrimination
rules and principles of transparency, there is currently little
or no contact with sports organisations outside Europe, which restricts
the Council of Europe’s capacity to promote similar standards globally.
64. With a view to all major sport competitions, in particular
the Saudi Arabia World Cup, the goal should be to further engage
with host countries to create positive change, ensure effective
protection of all workers and participants involved in or affected
by the tournament, and promote wider human rights reforms. I believe
that the Council of Europe should play a role in this, in co-operation
with the European Union and other UN agencies.
5 Conclusions
and recommendations
65. The hearings organised by the
Committee on Culture, Science, Education and Media showed the need for
sports governance to be based on democracy, human rights and the
rule of law, as well as on the values of living together, such as
safety, tolerance, dignity, respect, fair play and solidarity.
66. For sport to uphold and promote these values, leaders, managers
and officials of sports organisations, but also athletes, coaches,
agents, referees, sponsors and business partners among others, should
work with national governments and international organisations to
uphold human rights and live up to the standards of our democratic
societies.
67. This report highlights some of the threats to sport and outright
human rights violations, good governance and integrity: violence
and racism, sexual harassment and gender discrimination, human exploitation
or trafficking of young athletes, but also questionable links between
sport and the highest level of politics, doping, illegal betting,
manipulation of sporting competitions,
Note corruption, bribery,
vote-buying in the awarding of major sporting events, financial
malpractice, cases of tax evasion, money laundering, etc.
68. The world of sport has taken important steps to combat these
scourges, to prevent human rights violations, to combat discrimination
and to achieve greater equality in sport. However, much remains
to be done to place human rights, safety and inclusivity at the
core of sport, including in the framework of major sporting events.
69. Finally, I would also like to refer to the
conclusions of the Athens
parliamentary
conference, prepared by the conference rapporteur, Ms Elda Moreno,
which make four important calls for action with practical recommendations,
which are also relevant to my report and instrumental to the Assembly
resolution, in four strategic areas, namely:
- embedding human rights and good governance principles
in sport;
- investing in prevention and protection;
- enhancing accountability;
- achieving effective multistakeholder co-operation.
70. The Assembly should recognise the immense potential of sport
to promote inclusion, equality and human dignity, and stress the
urgent need to embed human rights protections across all sporting
activities, particularly in the context of major international events.
71. While welcoming initiatives by organisations such as the IOC,
FIFA and World Athletics to strengthen safeguarding and human rights
standards, I remain deeply concerned by persistent reports of abuse, discrimination
and systemic rights violations within sport. Safeguarding measures
must be mandatory, independently monitored, and trauma informed.
National frameworks should legally enshrine the protection of human
rights in sport, with independent safe sport bodies supporting victims
and promoting education and awareness raising activities.
72. I would also like to highlight the persistent inequalities
faced by women and marginalised groups, urging the adoption of concrete,
measurable strategies to promote diversity and gender equality both
on and off the field. I call for robust action against discriminatory
practices and for greater media engagement to challenge stereotypes.
73. A key concern remains the awarding of major sporting events
to countries with poor human rights records. The Assembly should
demand binding human rights conditionalities in the bidding and
hosting processes, with independent oversight and access to remedies
for victims of abuses. Initiatives such as the Human Rights Declaration
for UEFA EURO 2024 and Women EURO 2025 are welcomed, but broader,
more enforceable standards are deemed essential. The Council of
Europe, in co-operation with the European Union and other UN agencies,
should play an active role and further engage with host countries,
including outside Council of Europe member States, to create positive
change, ensure effective protection of all workers and participants
involved in or affected by the tournament, and promote wider human
rights reforms.
74. Finally, the Assembly should advocate for multistakeholder
enhanced co-operation, in particular in the framework of the Parliamentary
Alliance for Good Governance and Integrity in Sport, and urge a
paradigm shift in sport governance towards transparency, accountability
and respect for human dignity. The Committee on Culture, Science,
Education and Media should maintain active oversight to ensure that
sport becomes a true vehicle for the promotion of human rights for
all.
