On Sports
The United Nations human rights chief has today insisted that athletes must be able to speak out on rights abuses such as racism and discrimination without fear of reprisals. Volker Turk said the Games, which begin on July 26, would be taking place against a backdrop of wars, and praised the courage of athletes who highlight rights violations.
He was speaking at the UN Human Rights Council alongside International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach.
Russia, during the previous debates lashed out at its exclusion from Paris 2024 over its war in Ukraine, accusing the IOC of “sordid tactics” and “collective punishment” of its athletes.
Speaking to the rights council in Geneva, Turk noted that sports were not immune from human rights challenges, including during landmark events like the Olympics. In his words, “Some worrying issues are more visible than others: racist or sexist incidents, abuse, violence against women, corruption; discrimination based on religion or religious attire, disability, nationality or sexual orientation and gender identity.’’
He however stated that important progress had been made, citing the sentencing in Spain last month of three football fans for racially abusing Real Madrid’s Brazilian forward Vinicius Junior.
Turk said athletes were increasingly speaking out, either because they had been subjected to human rights violations themselves or were denouncing systemic injustice.
Bach however said the IOC could not solve human rights issues that generations of politicians had been unable to fix. He expressed that In these divisive times, with wars and conflicts on the rise, it has never been more important to build inclusive communities.
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