RES/37/18 Promoting human rights through sport and the Olympic ideal

GE.18-05888(E)



Human Rights Council Thirty-seventh session

26 February–23 March 2018

Agenda item 3

Resolution adopted by the Human Rights Council on 23 March 2018

37/18. Promoting human rights through sport and the Olympic ideal

The Human Rights Council,

Reaffirming the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations,

Recalling the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and relevant international

human rights instruments,

Recalling also the relevant provisions of the key international human rights treaties,

in particular article 31 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, articles 1 and 30 of the

Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and articles 10 (g) and 13 (c) of the

Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women,

Recalling further the resolutions adopted by the General Assembly on the issue of

sport for development and peace and the Olympic Games, in particular its resolutions 67/17

of 28 November 2012, 68/9 of 6 November, 69/6 of 31 October 2014 and 70/4 of 26

October 2015, the latter on building a peaceful and better world through sport and the

Olympic ideal, 71/160 of 16 December 2016, in which the Assembly supported the

independence and autonomy of sport and recognized the unifying and c conciliatory nature

of major international sport events, and 72/6 of 13 November 2017, in which the Assembly

recalled its resolution 48/11 of 25 October 1993 that, inter alia, recognized the efforts of the

International Olympic Committee to restore the ancient Greek tradition of ekecheiria

(“Olympic Truce”) calling for a truce during the Olympic Games in the interest of

contributing to international understanding and peace,

Reaffirming previous Human Rights Council resolutions on the issue of sport and

human rights, in particular resolutions 13/27 of 26 March 2010, 18/23 of 30 September

2011, 24/1 of 26 September 2013, 26/18 of 26 June 2014, 27/8 of 25 September 2014 and

31/23 of 24 March 2016,

Recalling that the General Assembly has supported the independence and autonomy

of sport and the mission of the International Olympic Committee in leading the Olympic

movement, and of the International Paralympic Committee in leading the Paralympic

movement, and noting that they, as well as other relevant stakeholders, also have a role in

protecting the interests and rights of athletes and the integrity of sport in accordance with

the Olympic Charter, the International Paralympic Committee Code of Ethics and other

relevant international standards and principles,

Acknowledging the fundamental principles of the Olympic Charter, including

principle 6, which states that the enjoyment of the rights and freedoms set forth in the

Charter shall be secured for all, without discrimination of any kind,

Recalling that the General Assembly has recognized the valuable contribution of

sport to the promotion of education, sustainable development, peace, cooperation,

solidarity, fairness, social inclusion and health at the local, regional and international levels,

and noting that, as declared in the 2005 World Summit Outcome, sports can contribute to

an atmosphere of tolerance and understanding among peoples and nations,

Acknowledging the revised International Charter for Physical Education, Physical

Activity and Sport, as proclaimed by the General Conference of the United Nations

Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization at its thirty-eighth session, in November

2015, and the Kazan Action Plan, adopted at the Sixth International Conference of

Ministers and Senior Officials Responsible for Physical Education and Sport, held in

Kazan, Russian Federation, in July 2017,

Acknowledging also the major role of the United Nations system and its country

programmes and the role of Member States in promoting human development through sport

and physical education,1

Taking note with appreciation of the final report of the Advisory Committee on the

possibilities of using sport and the Olympic ideal to promote human rights for all and to

strengthen universal respect for them,2 and its recommendations to States, national, regional

and international sport organizations and other stakeholders,

Welcoming the significant impetus that the Olympic Games, the Paralympic Games

and the Youth Olympic Games give to the volunteer movement around the world,

acknowledging the contributions of volunteers to the success of the Games, and in this

regard calling upon host countries to promote social inclusion without discrimination of any

kind,

Noting that the Olympic Charter, among its fundamental principles of Olympism,

stipulates that 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,

Recognizing the potential of sport as 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,

Recognizing also that sport and major sporting events can be used to promote

awareness, understanding and the application of the Universal Declaration of Human

Rights,

Recognizing further the imperative need to engage women and girls in the practice

of sport and to enhance, to this end, their participation in sporting events at the national and

international levels,

Welcoming the continued advancement of women in and through sports and sporting

activities, in particular the support for their progressively greater participation in sport

events, which provides opportunities for women’s empowerment and the realization of

gender equality,

Acknowledging the potential of sport and major sporting events to educate the youth

of the world and to promote their inclusion through sport practiced without discrimination

of any kind and in the Olympic spirit, which requires human understanding, tolerance, fair

play and solidarity,

Acknowledging also the joint endeavours of the International Olympic Committee,

the International Paralympic Committee and the United Nations system in such fields as

1 See General Assembly resolution 71/160.

2 A/HRC/30/50.

human development, poverty alleviation, humanitarian assistance, health promotion, HIV

and AIDS prevention, child and youth education, gender equality, peacebuilding and

sustainable development,

Acknowledging further the importance of the Youth Olympic Games in inspiring

youth, including university students, through integrated sports and cultural and educational

experiences, and the potential for social inclusion, welcoming the hosting of the Youth

Olympic Games by Buenos Aires in 2018 and Lausanne, Switzerland in 2020, and the

hosting of the Universiade in 2019 by Krasnoyarsk, Russian Federation in March 2019 and

in Naples, Italy in July 2019,

Reaffirming the need to combat discrimination and intolerance where they occur,

within and outside the sporting context,

Recognizing that sport, the Olympic and Paralympic Games, and other international

major sporting events, such as the International Federation of Association Football World

Cup, can be used to promote human rights and to strengthen universal respect for them,

thus contributing to their full realization,

Acknowledging the valuable contribution that the appeal by the International

Olympic Committee for an Olympic Truce, also known as ekecheiria, could make towards

advancing the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations,

Noting that recreational programmes, sport and games have helped to reduce

tensions in some regions where there is armed conflict,

Noting also 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,

Noting further that the participation of teams of refugees in the Olympic Games in

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 2016, and in other games, such as the 2017 World Championship

in Athletics in London, and the 2017 Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games in Ashgabat,

might inspire a new understanding of the rights of millions of people caught up in crises

around the world, and welcoming in this context the participation in mega-sporting events

of teams of refugees selected under the responsibility of the International Olympic

Committee, in close cooperation and consultation with the Office of the United Nations

High Commissioner for Refugees, relevant international sports federations, national

Olympic committees and the host country,

Acknowledging the very important role of the media in the promotion and

popularization of sport and in raising public awareness of the merits of practicing as a key

element of a healthy lifestyle, thus contributing to the enjoyment of the highest attainable

standard of physical and mental health,

Acknowledging also that the media may play a positive role when reporting on how

sport can translate into respect for human rights and promote social cohesion and

acceptance of diversity and the values of sport, including integrity, teamwork, excellence,

respect, tolerance, fair play and friendship,

Noting the successful conclusion of the Olympic and Paralympic Games in

PyeongChang, Republic of Korea, welcoming the hosting of the Olympic and Paralympic

Games in the cities of Tokyo, Beijing, Paris and Los Angeles, United States of America in

2020, 2022, 2024 and 2028 respectively, and stressing the opportunity to promote human

rights, especially through sport and the Olympic ideal,

Recognizing the potential of sport and major sporting events in contributing to the

achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable

Development to fostering peace and sustainable development, and to the inclusion of

persons with disabilities, and the promotion of non-discrimination, and taking into account

the need to address and prevent improper practices of stakeholders engaged in the

organization and preparation of sports events, which may lead to human rights violations

and abuses and negatively affect the economic, social and environmental spheres,

Recalling the designation of 6 April as the International Day of Sport for

Development and Peace, and encouraging the celebration of this day,

Being aware of the need to actively involve sport and the Olympic and Paralympic

Games in achieving the full and equal enjoyment of all human rights by persons with

disabilities, and respect for their inherent dignity, recognizing efforts made by the hosting

countries to create a barrier-free environment for persons with disabilities, and stressing the

need to continue to build on efforts made most recently at the 2016 Summer Olympic and

Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, the 2018 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games in

PyeongChang and the 2014 International Federation of Association Football World Cup in

Brazil,

Acknowledging the role that the Paralympic movement plays in showcasing the

achievements of athletes with disabilities to a global audience and in acting as a primary

vehicle to promote positive perceptions and greater inclusion of persons with disabilities in

sport and society,

Recognizing the need to reflect more thoroughly on the value of relevant principles

enshrined in the Olympic Charter, the International Paralympic Committee Code of Ethics

and good sporting example in achieving the universal respect for realization of all human

rights,

Welcoming the panel discussion held at the thirty-second session of the Human

Rights Council on the theme “The use of sport and the Olympic ideal to promote human

rights for all”,

Recognizing the need to support the independence and autonomy of sport and to

preserve integrity in sports in all aspects, through good governance of sport executive

bodies and the effective and impartial implementation of anti-corruption, anti-doping and

other relevant regulations, without prejudice to the human rights of athletes,

1. Encourages States to promote sport as a means to combat all forms of

discrimination;

2. Calls upon States to cooperate with the International Olympic Committee and

the International Paralympic Committee in their efforts to use sport as a tool to promote

human rights, development, peace, dialogue and reconciliation during and beyond the

period of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, in particular by observing the Olympic

Truce;

3. Encourages States to adopt best practices and means to promote the practice

of sport and physical activities by all members of society, and to cultivate a sports culture in

society;

4. Invites States and national, regional and international sports organizations to,

where appropriate, implement new or strengthen existing programmes that provide more

opportunities and facilitate barrier-free access to sport for all, in particular for children and

youth, persons with disabilities, and women and girls, and substantially increase

opportunities for women’s participation and leadership in all areas of sport, and in this

regard encourages States to leverage sport and physical education policies and programmes

to advance gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls;

5. Encourages States and national, regional and international sports

organizations to enhance human rights awareness and education, including the values of

sport, of athletes, coaches and other sports officials;

6. Calls upon States to take effective measures to address vandalism and

violence during and around sporting events, and to encourage national, regional and

international sports organizations to contribute to that end;

7. Welcomes the cooperation among Member States, the United Nations and its

specialized agencies, funds and programmes, the International Olympic Committee and the

International Paralympic Committee to maximize the potential of sport to make a

meaningful and sustainable contribution to the achievement of the Sustainable

Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and encourages the

Olympic and Paralympic movements to work closely with national, regional and

international sport organizations on the use of sport for this purpose;

8. Decides to incorporate into its programme of work a thematic panel

discussion with regard to promoting human rights through sport and the Olympic ideal, to

be held once every four years at the session of the Human Rights Council preceding the

Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games, and also decides that the discussions will be

fully accessible to persons with disabilities;

9. Also decides that the first such panel discussion will be organized at its forty-

fourth session, ahead of the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Tokyo;

10. Further decides to remain seized of the matter.

54th meeting

23 March 2018

[Adopted without a vote.]