Causes

Human services International affairs

Posted by

Claire M.

Events & Admin Officer

Our mission

The Centre's role is to work towards a world of sport that fully respects human rights through collective action and through the promotion of the Sporting Chance Principles.

What we do

Sport has the power to be a uniting force for good in society in ways little else can. By harnessing this power and acting collectively, the diversity of actors involved in the world of sport have the potential to deliver concrete impacts for those affected by sport.

Through our Advisory Council, the Centre brings together an unprecedented alliance of intergovernmental organisations, governments, sports bodies, athletes, hosts, sponsors, broadcasters, civil society representatives, trade unions, employers and their associations, and national human rights institutions. These organisations have come together united in the understanding that there is a generation of work to be done to fully align the world of sport with the fundamental principles of human dignity, human rights, and labour rights.

The Centre performs a range of activities under a framework of sharing knowledge, building capacity, and increasing accountability. The Centre's work is rooted in normative international human rights standards. In fulfilling this mandate, the Centre is committed to being independent, principles-based, inclusive, diverse, collaborative, accessible, and trusted.

The Centre is an impartial convenor and a safe space for aligning multi-stakeholder action. Within all activities there is an explicit focus on supporting governments, host actors, sports governing bodies, international federations, and companies. Each has a unique role to play in promoting human rights and implementing their duties and responsibilities to: prevent harms in line with the Sporting Chance Principles, take a clear cross-cutting focus on strengthening access to effective remedies for affected groups, and communicate transparently on progress towards full implementation.

The Centre's work is framed to be responsive to key stakeholders affected by sport - the athletes, communities, workers, volunteers and officials, journalists, and fans - as well as cross-cutting groups that may have particular vulnerabilities - namely, children, human rights defenders, women and girls, LGBTI+ people, people with disabilities, migrants, minority and ethnic groups, indigenous people, and historically disadvantaged communities.

In prioritising action, we consider the severity and likelihood of human rights risks arising, the potential for positive change, and the opportunities to learn, raise awareness, and increase capacity.