The Executive Board of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has decided to set up an Advisory Committee on Human Rights. It will be chaired by Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.
IOC President Thomas Bach said: "We are extremely pleased that HRH Prince Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein has agreed to head the new IOC Human Rights Advisory Board. The organization will benefit greatly from his expertise and experience. I would like to thank him for accepting this very important position. He continued: "The promotion of human values in sport has been one of the IOC's top priorities since its creation. Our mission, which is to put sport at the service of humanity, goes hand in hand with human rights, which are part of our DNA."
This new committee will be a key instrument in helping the IOC to meet its human rights responsibilities, and to address the main human rights risks facing the organization through a comprehensive strategy and policy. This committee will be involved in the various spheres of the IOC's work, including its operations and the staging of the Olympic Games and Youth Olympic Games. The committee will report to the Executive Board and the IOC President. While regular public reporting is not expected, it is not ruled out.
The decision to set up this advisory committee is another direct consequence of Olympic Agenda 2020. It also follows the addition of human rights standards to the "Operational Conditions" of the Host City Contract for the 2024 and subsequent Olympic Games. These standards explicitly require organizing committees to "comply with local, regional and national legislation, as well as international agreements and protocols applicable in the host country, in the areas of urban planning, construction, environmental protection, health, safety and security, working conditions and anti-corruption" for "development and other projects necessary for the organization of the Games".
The advisory board will comprise six to nine members, experts in the fields of sport and human rights. The final composition of the committee will be announced in March 2019.
