RES/27/8 Promoting human rights through sport and the Olympic ideal

GE.General Assembly resolution 60/1. 4-17805 (E)

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Human Rights Council Twenty-seventh session

Agenda item 3

Promotion and protection of all human rights, civil,

political, economic, social and cultural rights,

including the right to development

Resolution adopted by the Human Rights Council

27/8

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 and article 30 of the

Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities,

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

sport and Olympic Games, in particular its resolutions 67/17 of 28 November 2012 and

68/9 of 6 November 2013 on building a peaceful and better world through sport, in which

the Assembly recognized the valuable contribution of sport in promoting education,

development, peace, cooperation, solidarity, fairness, social inclusion and health at the

local, regional and international levels, and noted that, as declared in the 2005 World

Summit Outcome,1 sports can contribute to an atmosphere of tolerance and understanding

among peoples and nations,

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 and 26/18 of 26 June 2014,

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

foster and encourage such initiatives at the global level,

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,

Noting the Fundamental Principles of Olympism as enshrined in the Olympic

Charter,

Acknowledging the joint endeavours of the International Olympic Committee, the

International Paralympic Committee, the Office of the Special Adviser to the Secretary-

General on Sport for Development and Peace and the United Nations system in such fields

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

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

sustainable development,

Acknowledging also the importance of the Youth Olympic Games in inspiring youth

through integrated sports and cultural and educational experiences, noting in this regard the

successful conclusion of the first Youth Winter Olympic Games, held in Innsbruck, Austria,

from 13 to 22 January 2012, and the second Youth Summer Olympic Games, held in

Nanjing, China, from 16 to 28 August 2014, and welcoming the second Youth Winter

Olympic Games, to be held in Lillehammer, Norway, from 12 to 21 February 2016,

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 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,

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

popularization of sport and in raising public awareness of the merits of practising sports as

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

attainable standard of physical and mental health,

Noting the successful conclusion of the Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games in

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

Brazil,

Welcoming the hosting of the Olympic and Paralympic Games in the cities of Rio de

Janeiro, PyeongChang and Tokyo in 2016, 2018 and 2020 respectively, and stressing the

opportunity to make use of these important events 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 Millennium Development Goals and to fostering peace and sustainable

development,

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

Development and Peace,

Being aware of the need to actively involve sport and the Olympics in achieving the

full and equal enjoyment of all human rights by persons with disabilities, as well as 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 at the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi and the 2014

International Federation of Association Football World Cup in Brazil,

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

enshrined in the Olympic Charter and good sporting example in achieving the universal

respect for and realization of all human rights,

1. Takes note with appreciation of the progress report of the Advisory

Committee on the requested study on the possibilities of using sport and the Olympic ideal

to promote human rights for all;A/HRC/27/58.

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;

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

discrimination;

4. 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 work towards a meaningful and sustainable

contribution through sport to raising awareness of and to the achievement of the

Millennium Development Goals, and encourages the Olympic and Paralympic movements

to work closely with national and international sports organizations on the use of sport to

contribute to the achievement of the Goals;

5. Requests the Advisory Committee to finalize the study on the possibilities of

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

universal respect for them, and to present it in a report to the Human Rights Council before

its thirtieth session;

6. Decides to continue consideration of this issue in accordance with its

programme of work.

39th meeting

25 September 2014

[Adopted without a vote.]