The 2018 Sporting Chance Forum

The third annual Sporting Chance Forum took place at UNESCO headquarters in Paris, from 12 to 13 December 2018.

The Forum was hosted by the Institute for Human Rights and Business, the Centre for Sport and Human Rights, and UNESCO. It brought together over 300 high-level delegates from a variety of institutions and stakeholder groups. The 2018 Forum covered a diverse range of issues including sexual abuse in sport, athletes’ rights, worker safety, fan monitoring, media freedom, child rights, and community wellbeing. It also provided the opportunity to take stock following previous fora in Geneva in 2017 and Washington D.C. in 2016.

This report, written by the Centre for Sport and Human Rights, provides an overview of Forum sessions as well as the key messages of each panel discussion. 

The Forum was chaired by Mary Robinson, former President of Ireland and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, in her role as Chair of the Centre for Sport and Human Rights. A statement by Mary Robinson was published on the eve of the Forum, calling on all delegates to use the Forum to respond to the urgent need for greater collective action.

Shortly following the Forum, the Institute for Human Rights and Business also published a series of reflections from participants giving their take on the impact and outcomes of the  Forum’s discussions. In the series, participants share their priorities on where the future work of the Centre for Sport and Human Rights should focus in order to best support or improve the human rights of those affected by sport.

The Forum was conducted in both English and French, with simultaneous translation provided throughout the two days of discussion. The Forum was also recorded live in its entirety, and each speaker image included in this report links directly to their remarks for ease of viewing.

Read the full 2018 Sporting Chance Forum Meeting Report here.

• Meeting Report: The 2018 Sporting Chance Forum