White Paper 2.4 Remedy Mechanisms for Human Rights in the Sports Context

This White Paper maps out various means of access to remedy in a sport-related context, including mechanisms within selected sports bodies and institutions, as well as judicial and non-judicial mechanisms, and identifies current gaps in dealing with human rights-related issues.

Specific dispute resolution mechanisms exist in the context of international sport.

In some cases, they address human rights issues such as the right to a fair trial. However, they have not been designed to address all the human rights-related issues that may arise from mega-sporting events - be it human rights issues within sports events themselves, or human rights impacts related to the organisation and holding of sports events. On the other hand, a range of other mechanisms exist which complement sports-related ones, including judicial mechanisms, such as national courts and tribunals, as well as a range of non-judicial mechanisms.

This White Paper is one of 11 papers published in January 2017 as part of the Sporting Chance White Paper series. The series aims to present the latest thinking, practice, and debate in relation to key human rights issues involved in the planning, construction, delivery, and legacy of mega-sporting events (MSEs). Each paper also considers the case for, and potential role of, an independent centre of expertise on MSEs and human rights. Each White Paper has been published as “Version 1” and the MSE Platform would welcome comments, input, and expressions of support with regard to future iterations or research on this and other topics.