The Role of the Olympic Movement in the promotion of Human Rights

Abstract

The United Nations Organisation (UNO) defines human rights as "universal legal guarantees protecting individuals and groups against actions and omissions of governments that interfere with human dignity”.  However, the behaviour of certain sports organizations often violates these rights. The Olympic Movement must play a role in the promotion and defence of human rights. The Olympic Charter is the only international legal text in the world that expressly recognizes sport as a human right. The 2020 Agenda and regular revisions to the Olympic Charter clearly show the IAO's leadership in promoting and defending human rights. But there is still much to be done in the field of promotion by the Olympic Movement of sport and human rights. Considering the prestige of the IAO and the means available to it, as well as its status as an observer member of the United Nations, it could exercise its influence, to confront and solve abuses suffered, for example, by child sportsmen who bear overly intensive training burdens or in the face of racial discrimination in relation to access to and process of competitions and in racist acts committed by players, athletes and spectators.