20/11 Summary of the high-level interactive panel discussion of the Human Rights Council to highlight, examine and suggest ways in which sport and major sporting events, in particular the Olympic and Paralympic Games, can be used to promote awareness and understanding of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the application of the principles enshrined therein

GE.12-13766

Human Rights Council

Twentieth session

Agenda items 2 and 8

Annual report of the United Nations High Commissioner

for Human Rights and reports of the Office of the

High Commissioner and the Secretary-General

Follow-up and implementation of the Vienna Declaration

and Programme of Action

Summary of the high-level interactive panel discussion of the Human Rights Council to highlight, examine and suggest ways in which sport and major sporting events, in particular the Olympic and Paralympic Games, can be used to promote awareness and understanding of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the application of the principles enshrined therein*

* Late submission.

I. Introduction

1. On 27 March 2012, pursuant to its resolution 18/23, the Human Rights Council held

a high-level interactive panel discussion to highlight, examine and suggest ways in which

sport and major sporting events, in particular the Olympic and Paralympic Games, can be

used to promote awareness and understanding of the Universal Declaration of Human

Rights and the application of the principles enshrined therein.

2. In resolution 18/23, the Human Rights Council requested the Office of the United

Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) to liaise with relevant special

procedures, States and other stakeholders, including relevant United Nations bodies and

agencies, with a view to ensuring their participation in the above-mentioned panel

discussion. It also requested OHCHR to prepare a summary on the high-level discussion.

The present summary was prepared pursuant to that request.

3. The objectives of the panel were to discuss how to harness the vast potential of the

Olympic and Paralympic Games and other major sporting events to raise awareness of the

Universal Declaration of Human Rights among more people than ever before; to reinforce

educative messages about the power of sport to bring about positive change (in this context,

the focus was on exploring synergies between Olympic values and the Universal

Declaration of Human Rights); and to explore the feasibility of putting in place a process on

which the hosts of future Olympic events might build in order to reinforce such underlying

concepts as universality, non-discrimination and equality, which underpin both the Olympic

spirit and human rights.

4. The panel discussion was moderated by the Minister of State for the Foreign and

Commonwealth Office, Jeremy Browne (United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern

Ireland). An opening statement was delivered by the United Nations High Commissioner

for Human Rights. The panellists were the Deputy Chairperson of the London 2012

Organizing Committee, Sir Keith Mills; the , President of Rio 2016, , Carlos Nuzman and

the Human Rights Ombudsman and President of the Russian Paralympic Committee,

Vladimir Lukin,

II. Statement by the United Nations High Commissioner for

Human Rights and contributions of panellists

6. In her opening address, the High Commissioner stated that sport had been

acknowledged as a vehicle for peace and human development in several key United Nations

documents and declarations, in particular, the United Nations Millennium Declaration,1 the

2005 World Summit Outcome2 and the outcome document of the High-level Plenary

Meeting of the General Assembly on the Millennium Development Goals.3

7. In reference to the Olympic Charter and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,

the High Commissioner underlined the fact that sport and human rights share many

fundamental values and objectives, but noted, nevertheless that it was surprising how little

interaction there had been to date between the human rights movement, mechanisms and

institutions and the world of sports.

1 General Assembly resolution 55/2.

2 General Assembly resolution 60/1.

3 General Assembly resolution 65/1.

8. The High Commissioner highlighted the fact that practicing sports contributes

greatly to the development and empowerment of human beings, perhaps most of all to that

of children, because it can build self-confidence, develop social, educational and physical

skills and teach respect for such key human rights principles as non-discrimination,

equality, accountability and participation. She stressed that sport was also a tremendous

public health instrument and was, for instance, an exceptional platform to raise public

awareness of HIV prevention, treatment, care and support. Moreover, sport had historically

been a powerful tool for the empowerment of social or marginalized groups, such as girls

and women, minorities, indigenous peoples and persons with disabilities. The High

Commissioner added that, in many countries struggling with poverty or conflict, sport had

assisted greatly in building development and peace; she referred in this regard to the

demobilization process of child soldiers in Sierra Leone and Liberia, where children from

opposing factions had been integrated in rehabilitation centres and placed in mixed football

teams.

9. Given the unique media attention attracted, the Olympic and Paralympic Games had

an enormous potential to promote awareness and understanding of human rights. The High

Commissioner therefore encouraged the host organizers of the upcoming Olympic Games

in London and Rio de Janeiro, and on the sites of Sochi in the Russian Federation and

PyeongChang in the Republic of Korea, to pay special attention to the promotion of human

rights, for instance, through varied promotional activities and campaigns. The High

Commissioner stressed that, given the impact of such mega-events, it was essential that

human rights implications be duly considered at all stages and by all actors involved. She

referred specifically to housing rights in this regard.

10. Like any social activity, sport could also have potentially negative side effects. The

High Commissioner therefore recommended that measures should be taken to prevent sport

becoming a source of human rights violations. She stated that the International Olympic

Committee must assume the moral leadership to ensure that human rights norms are fully

integrated and respected in the sporting world. She also called on all international human

rights mechanisms, especially the relevant special procedures mechanisms of the Human

Rights Council and the treaty bodies, to look carefully and systematically at the promotion

and protection of human rights in the context of sports.

11. The moderator, Jeremy Browne, stressed the importance of making a connection

between the values embodied by the Human Rights Council and those by the Olympic

Games. Indeed, the principles underpinning the Olympic Charter, such as non-

discrimination and equality, were also the bedrock of human rights. He stated that the

Olympic Games were not just a celebration of sport; they were a celebration of shared

humanity. Billions had watched the previous Beijing Games and it would be important for

the London Games to harness this attention to demonstrate the wider economic, social and

cultural agenda that the Games stand for.

12. Sir Mills underlined the importance that the meeting reflect on the role of the

Human Rights Council and the Olympic Games in these difficult times, and stated the

importance of growing cooperation between the United Nations and the Olympic Games.

He recalled that, in 1948, when the Olympics were last held in London, the Universal

Declaration of Human Rights was also adopted. It was also then that the first competition

for war veterans with spinal cord injuries was held, which meant the start of what was to

become the Paralympics.

13. Sir Mills stated that sport could be the answer to all questions, but was an agent that

could be used to spread human rights across the world in this era of globalization. He

illustrated how London was building on this platform to generate long-term change by

using sport as an ambassador for peace, and also as a catalyst for transformation and

opportunities for the young. He highlighted how the Olympic truce had been a core concept

of the Olympics Games since ancient Greece, and referred in this regard to how the truce

had allowed for vaccination during the conflict in the former Yugoslavia. He underlined the

fact that the Olympic truce resolution of the United Kingdom was aimed at building

friendship and cooperation between nations and to develop long-term economic

development. He furthermore presented examples of how schools around the United

Kingdom had used the truce to address issues ranging from bullying to gang culture, and

illustrated how a number of poor areas in East London had benefited from the Olympic

Games and been transformed into vibrant neighbourhoods.

14. Mr. Nuzman expressed the commitment to the promotion of human rights in all its

aspects. He explained how Brazil, as a country enjoying economic stability, had taken an

extensive number of initiatives in preparation for the Olympic Games. Brazil has adopted

the Rio Master Plan, which included a number of urban development projects, such as

training centres, a high-performance transport ring and the refurbishment of a number of

existing facilities. He also explained how the objective was to bring these projects to all

favelas in order to promote social inclusion and enhance urban dwelling in those areas, by

providing essential services such as rain drainage, paving and public lighting. Mr. Nuzman

added that, in the event that individuals and families had to be relocated, a step-by-step

resettlement procedure would facilitate the transition to a better situation for those involved.

In closing, Mr. Nuzman stressed that sport was a catalyst for key issues and a real

opportunity for transformation and for creating a legacy of peace.

15. Mr. Lukin stated that, while the Universal Declaration of Human Rights did not refer

to sports or to the Olympics, the principles that underpinned it were nonetheless in line with

the Olympic Charter. He cautioned that, although sports might be perceived as aggressive,

this was not the case in reality. He recommended that States should strengthen education

programmes to generate tolerance and respect for others. The International Olympic

Committee had an important role to play in supporting human rights. Mr. Lukin stressed

that practicing sports was a human right and that everyone should have the opportunity to

engage in it without discrimination. Sport was, moreover, an essential element of the

fundamental right to health and should be considered an urgent issue for the world

community to tackle.

16. Mr. Lukin also referred to the situation in the Russian Federation, where the

introduction of criminal liability for doping use, in addition to the application of a

suspension, was currently being considered. The Paralympics in Sochi would be a

locomotive for change and provide impetus for more and better facilities for the disabled,

making the city a place of active recreation for persons with disabilities. Mr. Lukin

concluded by stating that the Olympic Games should be no place for politicization.

III. Discussion

17. States and observers pointed out that sport had a major impact on domestic policies

and was a source of inspiration. Reference was made to the importance of sport in

achieving the Millennium Development Goals and in the promotion of sustainable

development and peace. Emphasis was also put on the need to ensure easy mobility for all

sports teams. It was stressed that the principles of non-discrimination and equality were

ideal tools for social, human and intellectual development. It was suggested that sports

activities be provided for persons with disabilities, including in schools, and that sufficient

resources be allocated to ensure their effective participation in sport through any physical

and linguistic means possible. Other recommendations from States and observers concerned

the need to prevent the exclusion of women in sport, to counter discrimination against

women and girls in sports clubs, and for all countries to include women in their Olympic

delegations.

18. Questions raised concerned the contribution of the Olympics to the promotion of

anti-discrimination policies and to boosting tolerance, the link between the Olympic Games

and the Millennium Development Goals, the impact of the Paralympics on persons with

disabilities, ways and means of involving the human rights machinery in the holding of

such events, involving all countries and not only the host country in the preparations,

facilitating the sharing of good practices on addressing concerns in terms of climate and

sustainability, and whether participation should be limited to those countries that do not

openly discriminate. Specific questions regarding the London Olympic Games asked how

the organizing committee had chosen the legacy projects to be pursued and whether it had

performed an ethical evaluation of the companies it had chosen to contract.

IV. Comments and replies by the panellists

19. Sir Mills replied that the International Olympic Committee was working hard to deal

with discrimination against women and girls in sports, and pointed out that progress had

been made in a number of countries. He also reported that the Committee had undertaken a

substantive due diligence test with regard to companies hired in the organization of the

Olympic Games.

20. Mr. Nuzman stated that Brazil had created an interministerial group to follow up on

progress in achieving the Millennium Development Goals, and referred in particular to

advances in reducing poverty. He also underlined the fact that the International Olympic

Committee only concluded partnerships with organizations whose work it believed was in

accordance with the values of the Olympic movement.

21. Mr. Lukin referred to the issue of discrimination against women and girls, and added

that the problem had to be seen in a broader context, including, for instance, the non-

participation of men in artistic sports. He also stressed the need to dedicate attention to

important environmental problems.

V. Conclusion by the moderator

22. The moderator welcomed the timeliness of a discussion on this important issue and

thanked the panellists and participants for their contributions before closing the meeting.