Concept Note
Solidarity for Advancing the Universality of Human Rights in Sport
Background
Efforts to ensure that sport can be practiced in a safe, inclusive, and non-discriminatory manner are increasingly framed within the concept of the right to sport. In the Republic of Korea, this right is explicitly recognized through the Framework Act on Sports, which affirms the protection of individuals’ right to participate in sport. At the international level, human rights in sport have also been progressively articulated through existing human rights frameworks and international instruments.
However, tensions persist between the authoritarian characteristics of elite sport, often driven by the pursuit of national prestige, and the public-oriented nature of grassroots sport aimed at promoting health and civic engagement. As a result, approaches to sport vary across countries. In particular, highly result-oriented approaches, such as those observed in Korea, may reflect state-led and authoritarian tendencies. In such contexts, patterns of human rights violations commonly associated with authoritarian systems may also emerge.
Given that sport serves as a domain in which the interests of states, institutions, and individuals intersect—and often as a means of demonstrating national capacity—there is a need to critically examine the underlying authoritarian dynamics embedded within state-led support systems. In this regard, international solidarity and collective efforts are essential to ensure the universality of human rights in sport.
Objectives
Amid growing global attention to human rights in sport, the activities of the National Human Rights Commission of Korea’s Special Investigation Team on Sports Human Rights were shared at the 2022 special session of the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI). While national level response and remedy systems have since developed, no dedicated international forum has yet been convened to establish a global governance framework for human rights in sport.
This session aims to initiate such efforts and to build consensus toward the establishment of an international governance framework. The specific objectives are as follows:
1. To lay the foundation for a global initiative under the provisional name “Global Alliance for Sport and Human Rights”
2. To reach agreement on international guidelines for the protection of human rights in sport
3. To establish governance mechanisms to address the authoritarian politicization of sport
4. To develop platforms for exchange among stakeholders in sport and human rights across countries
5. To raise the profile of sport and human rights as an international expert community, building on the above objectives
Main Agenda
1. Building International Governance to Address Authoritarianism in Sport
In national-level sport systems, competitive performance is often shaped by state interest and support. Where the foundation for broad-based participation in sport is limited, or where sport is used as a tool for political legitimacy, authoritarian tendencies in sport tend to intensify. As articulated in the Olympic Charter of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the Olympic Games are not conceived as a competition between nations but as a platform for individual achievement.
Nevertheless, states continue to exhibit nationalist and authoritarian orientations within the Olympic context. Such tendencies are rooted in the competitive nature of sport and in the objectives that states seek to achieve through it. However, elite-centered sport policies may lead to declining public participation, weaker school sport systems, and limited access for marginalized groups. These trends are particularly evident in developing countries and states with strong centralized or socialist-oriented governance systems. At the same time, the absence of a shared global understanding of sport as a universal value may be partly attributed to cultural relativism.
Establishing a common international perspective is therefore essential not only to uphold the global value of sport but also to ensure fairness, a core principle of sport. This session seeks to expand global discourse through consensus-building and solidarity among key stakeholders in sport and human rights. To this end, efforts will be made to support the launch of a Global Alliance for Sport and Human Rights and to develop international protection guidelines and mechanisms. Efforts will also focus on establishing governance frameworks addressing authoritarian politicization and strengthening stakeholder networks. A joint declaration among participating institutions will also be pursued.
As part of the process toward the adoption of a joint declaration, the participation of relevant institutions will be explored first, with a focus on the Centre for Sport and Human Rights, the U.S. Center for SafeSport, the New Japan Sports Federation, Gwangju Metropolitan City, and the Civic Network for Justice in Sport. Detailed arrangements will be coordinated through regular online meetings. Furthermore, during the World Human Rights Cities Forum 2026, both visiting participants and those unable to attend in person will engage in informal consultations to reach agreement on a final draft. This will be followed by formal endorsement and signing, thereby laying the foundation for elevating Gwangju as a leading city for human rights in sport. This declaration aims to develop over time into a human rights–oriented governance framework at the international level, with the goal of reaching the standards set by organizations such as the IOC and FIFA.
2. Human Rights of Student Athletes: Ensuring Balanced Development of Children
International frameworks such as the Convention on the Rights of the Child emphasize the importance of balance in children’s development, as reflected in UNICEF’s emphasis on ensuring adequate time for education. In this context, it is essential to ensure that the result-oriented nature of sport does not undermine children’s development or deprive them of opportunities to acquire diverse life skills. However, within state-led sport systems, restrictions on the right to education are often normalized, with a strong emphasis placed on national prestige. The discussion aims to clarify the meaning of “balance” in the development of student athletes and to build consensus on measures to ensure the substantive protection of their rights.
3. Goal Orientation in Sport: the Boundary Between Voluntariness and Coercion
Voluntary participation is a key element in determining individual engagement in sport. Given the repetitive and progressive nature of training, externally imposed participation may be perceived as excessive or as a violation of human rights.
Accordingly, the establishment of mutual trust between coaches and athletes, along with reliance on scientific evidence, is regarded as a key factor in shaping an appropriate relationship between them. Where such conditions are lacking, relationships may deteriorate into abusive dynamics between perpetrators and victims, raising sensitive concerns and giving rise to issues such as athlete burnout and overtraining. To this end, the development of standards and guidelines will be explored to address these issues and to safeguard human rights in sport.
Concept Note
Solidarity for Advancing the Universality of Human Rights in Sport
Background
Efforts to ensure that sport can be practiced in a safe, inclusive, and non-discriminatory manner are increasingly framed within the concept of the right to sport. In the Republic of Korea, this right is explicitly recognized through the Framework Act on Sports, which affirms the protection of individuals’ right to participate in sport. At the international level, human rights in sport have also been progressively articulated through existing human rights frameworks and international instruments.
However, tensions persist between the authoritarian characteristics of elite sport, often driven by the pursuit of national prestige, and the public-oriented nature of grassroots sport aimed at promoting health and civic engagement. As a result, approaches to sport vary across countries. In particular, highly result-oriented approaches, such as those observed in Korea, may reflect state-led and authoritarian tendencies. In such contexts, patterns of human rights violations commonly associated with authoritarian systems may also emerge.
Given that sport serves as a domain in which the interests of states, institutions, and individuals intersect—and often as a means of demonstrating national capacity—there is a need to critically examine the underlying authoritarian dynamics embedded within state-led support systems. In this regard, international solidarity and collective efforts are essential to ensure the universality of human rights in sport.
Objectives
Amid growing global attention to human rights in sport, the activities of the National Human Rights Commission of Korea’s Special Investigation Team on Sports Human Rights were shared at the 2022 special session of the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI). While national level response and remedy systems have since developed, no dedicated international forum has yet been convened to establish a global governance framework for human rights in sport.
This session aims to initiate such efforts and to build consensus toward the establishment of an international governance framework. The specific objectives are as follows:
1. To lay the foundation for a global initiative under the provisional name “Global Alliance for Sport and Human Rights”
2. To reach agreement on international guidelines for the protection of human rights in sport
3. To establish governance mechanisms to address the authoritarian politicization of sport
4. To develop platforms for exchange among stakeholders in sport and human rights across countries
5. To raise the profile of sport and human rights as an international expert community, building on the above objectives
Main Agenda
1. Building International Governance to Address Authoritarianism in Sport
In national-level sport systems, competitive performance is often shaped by state interest and support. Where the foundation for broad-based participation in sport is limited, or where sport is used as a tool for political legitimacy, authoritarian tendencies in sport tend to intensify. As articulated in the Olympic Charter of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the Olympic Games are not conceived as a competition between nations but as a platform for individual achievement.
Nevertheless, states continue to exhibit nationalist and authoritarian orientations within the Olympic context. Such tendencies are rooted in the competitive nature of sport and in the objectives that states seek to achieve through it. However, elite-centered sport policies may lead to declining public participation, weaker school sport systems, and limited access for marginalized groups. These trends are particularly evident in developing countries and states with strong centralized or socialist-oriented governance systems. At the same time, the absence of a shared global understanding of sport as a universal value may be partly attributed to cultural relativism.
Establishing a common international perspective is therefore essential not only to uphold the global value of sport but also to ensure fairness, a core principle of sport. This session seeks to expand global discourse through consensus-building and solidarity among key stakeholders in sport and human rights. To this end, efforts will be made to support the launch of a Global Alliance for Sport and Human Rights and to develop international protection guidelines and mechanisms. Efforts will also focus on establishing governance frameworks addressing authoritarian politicization and strengthening stakeholder networks. A joint declaration among participating institutions will also be pursued.
As part of the process toward the adoption of a joint declaration, the participation of relevant institutions will be explored first, with a focus on the Centre for Sport and Human Rights, the U.S. Center for SafeSport, the New Japan Sports Federation, Gwangju Metropolitan City, and the Civic Network for Justice in Sport. Detailed arrangements will be coordinated through regular online meetings. Furthermore, during the World Human Rights Cities Forum 2026, both visiting participants and those unable to attend in person will engage in informal consultations to reach agreement on a final draft. This will be followed by formal endorsement and signing, thereby laying the foundation for elevating Gwangju as a leading city for human rights in sport. This declaration aims to develop over time into a human rights–oriented governance framework at the international level, with the goal of reaching the standards set by organizations such as the IOC and FIFA.
2. Human Rights of Student Athletes: Ensuring Balanced Development of Children
International frameworks such as the Convention on the Rights of the Child emphasize the importance of balance in children’s development, as reflected in UNICEF’s emphasis on ensuring adequate time for education. In this context, it is essential to ensure that the result-oriented nature of sport does not undermine children’s development or deprive them of opportunities to acquire diverse life skills. However, within state-led sport systems, restrictions on the right to education are often normalized, with a strong emphasis placed on national prestige. The discussion aims to clarify the meaning of “balance” in the development of student athletes and to build consensus on measures to ensure the substantive protection of their rights.
3. Goal Orientation in Sport: the Boundary Between Voluntariness and Coercion
Voluntary participation is a key element in determining individual engagement in sport. Given the repetitive and progressive nature of training, externally imposed participation may be perceived as excessive or as a violation of human rights.
Accordingly, the establishment of mutual trust between coaches and athletes, along with reliance on scientific evidence, is regarded as a key factor in shaping an appropriate relationship between them. Where such conditions are lacking, relationships may deteriorate into abusive dynamics between perpetrators and victims, raising sensitive concerns and giving rise to issues such as athlete burnout and overtraining. To this end, the development of standards and guidelines will be explored to address these issues and to safeguard human rights in sport.