Eos Media Release (4)

Centre For Sport And Human Rights Announces Three New Engaged Organisations

04 May 2023

Author - Centre for Sport and Human Rights

The Centre for Sport and Human Rights (CSHR) is pleased to announce the International Hockey Federation (FIH), Airbnb and McDonald’s as the latest organisations to join CSHR’s multi-stakeholder sport and human rights network. 

All three join as Engaged Organisations, a new membership category launched by CSHR to grow the sport and human rights movement and expand the reach of CSHR’s work globally. 

FIH joins CSHR as an Engaged Organisation to uphold and promote its commitment to universal humanitarian values including diversity, inclusion and non-discrimination, across its governance, operations, activities and events. As part of its new sustainability strategy, FIH has set out specific commitments to Human Rights. As such, FIH seeks the support of the Centre for Sport and Human Rights to identify risk areas related to human rights and work on appropriate measures to address them.

As the Worldwide Olympic and Paralympic Partner in the exclusive category of “Unique Accommodation Products and Unique Experiences Services”, Airbnb joins CSHR to continue its work to promote sustainable accommodation options around mega sporting events, and provide dedicated support to athletes, primarily through accommodations support. Airbnb has been involved in CSHR’s work for over a year engaging in our working groups, particularly around upcoming major events. They look forward to continuing the collaboration as they look to the next Olympic & Paralympic Games in Paris.

McDonald’s joins CSHR following engagement dating back to 2015 when the very first event to discuss the possibility of a Centre took place in Glion, Switzerland. Most recently, McDonald’s has been engaged through diverse working groups, including multi-stakeholder discussions to help spur positive change and respect for human rights around the FIFA Men’s World Cup in Qatar and in the communities it serves. As a longstanding sponsor of the FIFA World Cup and other major sporting events and leagues around the world, McDonald's embraces its new role as an Engaged Organisation and will continue to live its values in the thousands of communities that it serves in over 100 countries.

We are pleased to welcome these three organisations as the first Engaged Organisations and look forward to working with all of them.

If your organisation is interested in exploring the possibility of becoming an Engaged Organisation of CSHR, please contact [email protected].

CSHR CEO Mary Harvey said: “The Centre for Sport and Human Rights exists to convene all actors in sport to address common human rights challenges and create opportunities for knowledge to be exchanged and developed. This multi-stakeholder approach is core to who we are and we are extremely proud to welcome FIH, Airbnb and McDonalds to the Centre as the first members of our new Engaged Organisations category. All three play important roles in governing, supporting and growing sport. Becoming an Engaged Organisation will help many actors in sport to further their journeys in integrating respect for human rights into how sport and its events are delivered.”

FIH President Tayyab Ikram said: “On behalf of FIH, I’d like to extend our sincerest thanks to the Centre for Sport and Human Rights for welcoming hockey’s world governing body as an Engaged Organisation. Being the very first International Sports Federation to enter this new membership category of CSHR is an honour. But it also comes along with an important responsibility for FIH and our global hockey community that we are fully committed to assuming. Sport unites. Sport provides hope. Sport inspires. As such, sport has the power to act as a catalyst for positive change in society. We’re looking forward to engaging with and collaborating with CSHR.”

Airbnb Director for International Affairs & Human Rights Katharine Kendrick said: “Airbnb is committed to supporting sporting events that are inclusive, accessible and sustainable, and leave a lasting positive legacy for athletes and host communities. Our core values and policies reflect our recognition of and respect for human rights as informed by internationally recognized standards such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs). We are constantly working to improve, and look forward to working with CSHR to build on our commitment to policies that respect and promote human rights.”

McDonald’s Global Chief Marketing Officer and Head of New Business Ventures Morgan Flatley said: “We believe it’s our responsibility to make a positive impact on the world. As a brand and a business, we strive to bring our values to life in local communities and are honored to become one of the first Engaged Organisations with the Centre. McDonald’s is committed to help advance a world of sports that fully respects and promotes human rights, including sponsorships of global sporting events. We look forward to learning and connecting with other organizations who share in the Centre’s mission.”

About the Centre for Sport and Human Rights

Launched in June 2018, CSHR works towards a world of sport that fully respects human rights by sharing knowledge, building capacity, and strengthening the accountability of all actors in the sport ecosystem through collective action. The Centre’s First Patron is Mary Robinson, former President of Ireland and former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.

Follow the Centre for Sport and Human Rights

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