The International Olympics Committee Role In Promoting Human Rights (Essay Sample)

The International Olympics Committee role in Promoting Human Rights – Is there a need for a sports law on human rights?
The International Olympics Committee, the international body that organizes and oversees the Olympics games, has no laws regarding national government’s violation of human rights. Instead, the organization maintains a neutral position even when human rights abuse is obvious. This issue came up in the run up to the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, China, when several western countries accused the Chinese government of human rights violations. Some countries, including the United States, called for a boycott of the Beijing games, and even went as far as enforcing a diplomatic boycott. Such incidents, if not managed well can trigger crises in sports and lead to complete boycotts.
On June 2022, the IOC issued a statement stating that it has a responsibility to “respect human rights in accordance with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights” (Human Rights Watch, 2022). Further, the committee stated that it was exploring the possibility of adopting a human rights strategic framework to address issues pertaining to the abuse of rights. The research proposal seeks to find out whether the IOC should create laws to address human rights violations by national governments. Such laws would help to give clear guidelines on how to respond to situations involving human rights abuse. In the context of the current regulations, the IOC avoids taking any action, giving national governments the freedom to politicize issues that affect sports. The research will examine current UN laws relevant to protecting human rights to determine