Protecting human rights in and through sport: obligations and shared responsibilities
- Author(s):
- Parliamentary Assembly
- Origin
- Assembly
debate on 25 June 2025 (23rd sitting) (see Doc. 16196, report of the Committee on Culture, Science, Education
and Media, rapporteur: Mr Kim Valentin). Text
adopted by the Assembly on 25 June 2025 (23rd sitting).See
also Recommendation 2297
(2025).
1. The Council of Europe and its Parliamentary
Assembly have a long-standing commitment to the promotion of human
rights, democracy and the rule of law in sport, which is a powerful
tool for fostering inclusion, equality, integrity and human dignity.
3. It wishes to reaffirm the principles enshrined in the revised
European Sports Charter (Recommendation CM/Rec(2021)5 adopted by
the Committee of Ministers on 13 October 2021), the Council of Europe Convention
on the Manipulation of Sports Competitions (CETS No. 215, the Macolin
Convention, 2014), the Anti-Doping Convention (ETS No. 135, 1989)
and its additional protocol (ETS No. 188, 2002), and the Council of
Europe Convention on an Integrated Safety, Security and Service
Approach at Football Matches and Other Sports Events (CETS No. 218,
the Saint-Denis Convention, 2016).
4. Human rights must be upheld and protected in all sporting
contexts, from amateur to professional, including during the bidding,
organisation, implementation and legacy phases of major international
sports events. The Assembly:
4.1 welcomes
the work of the Enlarged Partial Agreement on Sport (EPAS), including
in the area of child protection and of safeguarding their rights,
notably through the Council of Europe Start to Talk project and
in the area of gender equality in sport, whereby EPAS is continuing
to develop wide-ranging alternatives, including implementing the
recommendations of the joint European Union–Council of Europe All
In Plus project (promoting greater gender equality in sport);
4.2 acknowledges the work of the International Federation
of Association Football (FIFA), the International Olympic Committee
(IOC), the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), World Athletics
and international sports federations in strengthening protection,
addressing abuse and discrimination and embedding human rights and
gender equality considerations in governance;
4.3 remains, however, deeply concerned by continuing reports
of abuse, discrimination and human rights violations associated
with sports participation and major sports events, including in
contexts where sports governing bodies and host countries have failed
to fulfil their responsibilities;
4.4 is deeply alarmed by the widespread and systemic abuse
of children and vulnerable adults in sport, including psychological,
emotional, physical and sexual abuse, often facilitated by toxic organisational
cultures, impunity and a lack of trauma-informed redress systems;
4.5 is concerned that current systems for assessing human
rights compliance in bidding for and hosting major sports events
are often opaque, inadequately enforced and do not provide accessible remedies
for victims;
4.6 calls for stronger determination to reinforce accountability,
transparency and the alignment of sports governance with international
human rights standards, in co-operation with national and international
authorities and sports governing bodies;
4.7 welcomes the work of Play the Game and the ClearingSport
project, which aims to introduce new standards, collaborations and
mechanisms to counter crime, corruption and other breaches of integrity in
sport.
5. In light of the above, with regard to the battle against abuse
in sport, the Assembly urges Council of Europe member States to:
5.1 enshrine the promotion and protection
of human rights into national sport policy frameworks as a legal
and ethical obligation;
5.2 require sports organisations within their jurisdiction
to adopt and implement human rights policies, including zero tolerance
of abuse and discrimination;
5.3 ensure the appointment of child safeguarding officers
by sport federations working with minors, based on a framework agreed
by the various sports stakeholders;
5.4 establish or strengthen independent national safe sport
units to support victims, investigate cases of abuse and co-ordinate
efforts relating to education about safeguarding and prevention;
5.5 support EPAS in improving tools for good governance and
child protection, including through the adoption and monitoring
of relevant standards;
5.6 actively participate in international efforts to define,
promote and monitor compliance with an international code of safe
sport, modelled on the World Anti-Doping Code and on the Olympic
Movement Code on the Prevention of the Manipulation of Competitions;
5.7 monitor the role of commercial advertising and influencers
in sports, particularly the alcohol and gambling industries, and
the effects they can have on the well-being and health of minors.
6. The Assembly also calls upon all international and national
sports federations to:
6.1 integrate
binding human rights and safeguarding provisions into their statutes,
codes of conduct and operational rules;
6.2 establish trauma-informed, victim-centred reporting mechanisms
accessible to all participants in sport, which guarantee anonymity
and are offered in multiple languages;
6.3 provide mandatory safeguarding and human rights training
for coaches, referees, sports officials and others in contact with
children and vulnerable persons;
6.4 include victims of abuse in decision-making bodies, advisory
boards and policy-making processes;
6.5 publish annual reports on safeguarding and human rights
compliance, including data on complaints and disciplinary measures;
6.6 ensure full co-operation with public authorities and law-enforcement
agencies in cases of suspected or reported abuse.
7. In light of the above, the Assembly also strongly supports
the creation of an independent, global, multisport, safe sport entity
offering support and redress to athletes across jurisdictions.
8. With regard to combating discrimination and promoting gender
equality in sport, the Assembly:
8.1 reiterates
that sport must be a space free from all forms of discrimination,
including on the basis of gender, gender identity, sexual orientation,
race, ethnicity, religion and disability;
8.2 welcomes the efforts of FIFA, the IOC, UEFA, World Athletics
and international sports federations in setting targets for gender
equality in participation and governance, but notes that gender
inequalities persist at all levels of sport.
9. The Assembly therefore calls upon Council of Europe member
States to:
9.1 support research
and data collection using standardised indicators on gender equality
and diversity in sport, drawing on the indicators used for the joint
European Union–Council of Europe All In Plus project, allowing for
comparability of data;
9.2 fund national programmes and partnerships with non-governmental
organisations and sports associations aimed at increasing the participation
and visibility of women and girls in sport;
9.3 penalise discriminatory practices in sport and ensure
access to justice for victims of gender-based violence or harassment;
9.4 promote intersectional approaches to inclusion, ensuring
that the specific needs of marginalised groups are addressed;
9.5 work with media outlets to combat gender stereotypes and
ensure balanced coverage of women’s sport, again building on the
work of the All In Plus joint project, including during its informative sessions,
which set up a network of sport media professionals.
10. The Assembly also urges sports federations to:
10.1 co-operate with EPAS where possible
in the implementation of recommendations marking the completion
of the European Union–Council of Europe All In Plus joint project,
and contribute to online repositories on inclusive sports policies
with best practices;
10.2 adopt and implement gender equality action plans with
measurable targets, including for equal pay and representation in
governance bodies;
10.3 support mentoring and leadership development programmes
for women, including coaches, referees and executives;
10.4 engage in campaigns to challenge toxic masculinity and
promote positive role models for young athletes.
11. With regard to establishing human rights conditionalities
for major sports events, the Assembly:
11.1 expresses concern that major international sporting events
continue to be awarded to host countries with poor human rights
records, without adequate monitoring mechanisms;
11.2 strongly supports the inclusion of binding human rights
conditionalities in the bidding and hosting processes for all major
sporting events, including monitoring mechanisms in the implementation
and legacy phases;
11.3 welcomes the example of the Human Rights Declaration for
UEFA EURO 2024 and the Human Rights Declaration for UEFA Women’s
EURO 2025, and encourages their replication and expansion across
future events for all sports federations.
12. The Assembly also calls upon international sports federations
and event organisers to:
12.1 require
comprehensive, contextualised human rights risk assessments as a
condition for accepting bids;
12.2 include compliance with international labour rights, freedom
of expression, gender equality and child protection standards among
minimum eligibility requirements;
12.3 develop enforceable human rights action plans with timelines
and benchmarks for all accepted bids;
12.4 establish independent monitoring bodies with powers to
investigate, assess compliance and impose sanctions, including the
relocation of events in case of serious violations;
12.5 work actively with public authorities to facilitate effective
access to remedies, including judicial and non-judicial mechanisms,
for victims of abuses related to the organisation of sports events;
12.6 prioritise transparency and public engagement throughout
the bidding, evaluation and hosting process, using the visibility
of elite athletes to challenge harmful norms and practices, and
promote inclusive values;
12.7 engage in a structured dialogue with the Council of Europe,
the European Union and relevant United Nations agencies to develop
human rights protocols in key areas such as freedom of expression, gender
equality and child protection standards for the organisation of
major sports events.
13. Furthermore, the Assembly recommends that EPAS:
13.1 develop further guidance on
assessing human rights compliance in bids for sporting events and provides
technical assistance to bidding countries;
13.2 facilitate interregional dialogue and co-operation on
human rights risk assessments in sport, particularly with emerging
economies and low-income countries.
14. The time has come for a paradigm shift in the governance of
sport, one that places the dignity, human rights and well-being
of all athletes and stakeholders engaged in sport at its core. Sports
governance must align with democratic values, human rights, transparency
and the public interest, especially when operating internationally
across diverse legal and cultural contexts.
15. The Assembly underlines that only a co-ordinated, inclusive
and multistakeholder approach can ensure the realisation of human
rights in and through sport.
16. Finally, the Assembly resolves to continue to monitor these
developments, including in the framework of the Parliamentary Alliance
for Good Governance and Integrity in Sport, and to work with sports
bodies, governments and civil society to ensure that the promise
of human rights in sport becomes a reality for all.
