On 7 July 2021, the significance of sport and the Olympic ideal with regard to human rights for young people was highlighted by a panel of experts at the 47th session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva. The contents of the June 2020 UN resolution, entitled “Promoting human rights through sport and the Olympic ideal”, was discussed by the panel throughout the session.

Olympics and human rights

Nada Al-Nashif, Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights, started the session by stating that:

“the Olympic ideal is in human rights, it embodies fairness, nondiscrimination, respect and equal opportunities for all, sport promotes human rights values as they reach billions, including young people.”

“This is a very timely discussion that explores the potential of sport and the unique opportunities it offers to promote human rights for all in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic [and] in a context of striking inequalities and unrest” she said.

The Deputy High Commissioner also outlined the importance of sport as a “tool for the inclusion of youth and those in situations of vulnerability”, stating that: “as we have seen, the participation of refugees at large sporting events, such as the Olympic games, can inspire millions of children and youth to overcome challenges.”

The resolution states that

“sports could be a strong force for equality and diversity, and may play a role in the promotion of compassion, tolerance and acceptance for refugees and migrants, and welcoming in this context the participation in Olympic and Paralympic Games as well as in mega sporting events of teams of refugees, which might inspire a new understanding of the rights of millions of people caught up in crises around the world”

The resolution also dictates that “sports can contribute to an atmosphere of tolerance and understanding among peoples and nations” and that sports is a “universal language that contributes to educating people on the values of respect, dignity, diversity, equality, tolerance and fairness as a means to combat all forms of discrimination and to promote social inclusion for all, and reaffirming the need to combat discrimination and intolerance where they occur.”

The potential rights transgressions that can arise as a result of “mega sporting events” were not overlooked by Al-Nashif. Approaching the end of her statement to the panel, she said that: “sport and sporting events have the potential to lead to Human Rights violations” Al-Nashif described the ability for sports to,

“exacerbate discrimination, sexual and other forms of abuse and exploitation, forced evictions, poor labor conditions, as well as violence against journalists and peaceful protestors, including amongst youth.”

Thomas Bach, President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), said that the IOC’s responsibility is to: “ensure the Olympic Charter is applied at the Olympic games. This guarantees equal rights for everyone during the Olympics such as nondiscrimination for whatever reason, freedom of the press to report from the Olympic Games, open internet access at all Olympic venues, respect for labour right standards and many others”

The resolution reiterates the importance of “Acknowledging the fundamental principles of the Olympic Charter, in particular principle 4, which states that:

“The practice of sport is a human right. Every individual must have the possibility of practising sport, without discrimination of any kind and in the Olympic spirit, which requires mutual understanding with a spirit of friendship, solidarity and fair play.”

Tokyo Olympics – Japan

The upcoming Tokyo Olympics were discussed as speakers doubted the ability for the games to go ahead safely. NGO Human Rights Now expressed ‘deep concern’ to continue with the tournament in spite of the ongoing COVID-19 crisis and the call from Top Japanese medical associations to cancel the event.

Protests have been raging across Tokyo in recent weeks, with many residents fearing an aggravation of Japan’s public health crisis should the games be allowed to go ahead. Only 15% of the Japanese population has been fully vaccinated and, with cases of COVID-19 on the rise, the consequences could be deadly. One protestor said that they “remember the IOC chief Thomas Bach saying in April even if Japan is under emergency they will go ahead with the Olympics. We were angry then but we never thought that this was going to be real. We are really surprised & angry to see this happening. It must be canceled right now.”

However, proponents of the games argue that, with the necessary measures in place, the Olympic games will help “contribute to an atmosphere of tolerance and understanding”.

Fears and concerns of the delegates came to fruition as on 8 July Japan’s prime minister, Yoshihide Suga, declared a state of emergency in the city. Tamayo Marukawa, Japan’s Olympic minister, said:

“Venues in Tokyo will not include spectators”

Adding that there was still room for consideration in areas where the State of Emergency was not in place.

Beijing Olympics – China

Similarly, concerns raised by speakers also focused on the myriad of rights violations committed by China. NGO Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights issued a statement expressing concern over the awarding of the Olympic Winter Games 2022 to Beijing.

“…the OCS decision did not take into consideration the experience gained following the 2008 Summer Olympics in China the 2008 Olympics embolden policies of the Chinese Communist Party that are fundamentally adverse to human rights principles and norms”

The group went on to detail the violations that occurred against Tibetans including the violent crackdown by the CCP on peaceful protest. They continued to outline the detention of 2 million Uyghurs in Xinjiang and the freedoms lost to Hong Kong, ending their presentation with details of a coalition of 180+ civil society organisations that called for boycott. They concluded:

“… awarding the games to evil countries like the PRC, have a negative effect on young athletes and may even be detrimental to an atmosphere of tolerance and understanding among people…and run contrary to the UN General Assembly stated expectations and the fundamental principle of fulfilment…”

In response to criticism from civil society of the China’s human rights record in Xinjiang, the Chinese delegation later used their Right of Reply to issue a stern rebuke,

“The concerned NGOs are engaged in long term anti China activities. [They] fabricate and spread large amounts of lies against China. They intend to hijack the Olympic movement to serve their own ulterior political purpose. This is a great denigration against the Olympic spirit and also a great disrespect of all the Olympic lovers and participants in the games against Chinese people.”

However concern over China’s refusal to address human rights concerns raised in many sessions across the Human Rights Council sessions was shared by the European Parliament who, on 8 July, passed a non-binding motion calling for the EU to boycott the 2022 games, urging EU institutions and member states to,

“decline invitations for government representatives and diplomats to attend the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics unless the Chinese Government demonstrates a verifiable improvement in the human rights situation in Hong Kong, the Xinjiang Uyghur Region, Tibet, Inner Mongolia and elsewhere in China”.