RES/18/23 Promoting awareness, understanding and the application of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights through sport and the Olympic ideal

GE.11- 16755

Human Rights Council Eighteenth session

Agenda item 8

Follow-up and implementation of the Vienna Declaration

and Programme of Action

Resolution adopted by the Human Rights Council*

18/23 Promoting awareness, understanding and the application of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights through sport and the Olympic ideal

The Human Rights Council,

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

Universal Declaration of Human Rights and relevant international human rights

instruments,

Recognizing the potential of sport as a universal language that contributes to

educating people on the values of respect, diversity, tolerance and fairness and as a means

to combat all forms of discrimination and promote an inclusive society,

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 potential of sport and major sporting events in contributing

to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals, and noting that, as declared at

the 2005 World Summit, sport has the potential to foster peace and development and to

contribute to an atmosphere of tolerance and understanding among peoples and nations,

Recognizing the contribution of the Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on

Sport for Development and Peace and the United Nations Office on Sport for Development

and Peace to identify synergy and complimentarity between sport and the work of the

United Nations to promote the values of diversity, tolerance and fairness and as a means to

combat all forms of discrimination,

* The resolutions and decisions adopted by the Human Rights Council will be contained in the report of

the Council on its eighteenth session (A/HRC/18/2), chap. I.

Reaffirming the need to combat discrimination and intolerance where they occur

within and outside the sporting context,

Recalling Human Rights Council resolution 9/14 of 18 September 2008, in which

the Council urged the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to take

measures, in consultation with various international sporting and other organizations, to

enable them to contribute to the struggle against racism and racial discrimination,

Recognizing the imperative need to engage women and girls in the practice of sport

for development and peace and, in this regard, welcoming activities that aim to foster and

encourage such initiatives at the global level,

Recognizing also that special attention needs to be paid to ensuring non-

discrimination, including the equal enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental

freedoms by persons with disabilities, including their active participation in all aspects of

society, including sports,

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

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

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

play and solidarity,

Acknowledging also the benefits of regular sport, physical activity and play in the

realization of the right to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and

mental health and as a means to prevent and treat illness and disease,

Recalling General Assembly resolution 65/4 of 18 October 2010, on sport as a

means to promote education, health, development and peace, in which the Assembly

emphasized and encouraged the use of sport as a vehicle to foster development and

strengthen education for children and young persons; prevent disease and promote health,

including the prevention of drug abuse; empower girls and women; foster the inclusion and

well-being of persons with disabilities; and facilitate social inclusion, conflict prevention

and peacebuilding,

Recalling also General Assembly resolution 64/4 of 19 October 2009, on the

building of a peaceful and better world through sport and the Olympic ideal and, in this

context, welcoming the adoption on the same date of resolution 64/3, in which the

Assembly invited the International Olympic Committee to participate in its sessions and

work in the capacity of observer,

Acknowledging the valuable contribution that the appeal launched by the

International Olympic Committee for an Olympic Truce could make towards advancing the

purposes and principles of the Charter,

Recognizing the need to observe, within the framework of the Charter, the Olympic

Truce, individually and collectively, throughout the period beginning with the start of the

Games of the XXX Olympiad and ending with the closing of the XIV Paralympic Games,

Welcoming the hosting of the 2012 and 2016 Summer Olympic and Paralympic

Games in the cities of London and Rio de Janeiro, respectively, the hosting of the 2014

Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games in Sochi and the 2018 Winter Olympic Games in

PyeongChang, and stressing the opportunity to make use of these events to promote

awareness of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights among those watching and

participating and of how the principles of the Olympic Charter, aimed at, inter alia, non-

discrimination, equality, inclusion, respect and mutual understanding, relate to the

Declaration and can translate into all aspects of society,

Recognizing therefore the need to reflect on the value of relevant principles

enshrined in the Olympic Charter and on the value of good sporting example in achieving

the universal respect for and realization of all human rights,

1. Decides to convene, within existing resources, at its nineteenth session, 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. Requests the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human

Rights 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;

3. Also requests the Office of the High Commissioner to prepare a report on the

outcome of the panel discussion in the form of a summary.

37th meeting

30 September 2011

[Adopted without a vote.]