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This specialised masterclass is designed to help international and national sport bodies understand how human rights due diligence works in the sporting context and is jointly organised by the Asser Institute and the Centre for Sport and Human Rights. The course will guide you through the human rights due diligence process, and clarify questions around the scope of the assessment, which stakeholders to engage, and how to report on the measures taken while protecting confidentiality where needed.

Each sport faces unique challenges, but the masterclass uses a systematic approach that can be universally applied to engage with the human rights due diligence process. Thereby, it will equip you with the tools to tailor the approach to your sport.

Protecting all those involved in sport
Increasing reports on human rights abuses in day-to-day sports, such as cases of physical, emotional, or sexual abuse of athletes, and growing concern about the adverse human rights impacts of mega-sporting events has prompted a ‘sport and human rights movement’ led by those affected, from athletes to suppliers, and their representatives. Sports bodies are increasingly reacting and started to embed human rights standards and practices into the world of sports, by implementing human rights policies and human rights risk assessments, for example.

Human rights due diligence (HRDD), a risk management concept promoted by the UN Guiding Principles for Business and Human Rights, and the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, provides the relevant framework for these assessments, based on the following steps:

1.      Making a commitment
2.      Assessing actual and potential human rights impacts
3.      Acting on the findings on the assessments
4.      Tracking those actions
5.      Communicating about the measures taken
6.      Remedying adverse human rights impacts

In this masterclass, we will guide you through these steps and help you navigate the process of human rights due diligence in your sport.

Download the latest version of the programme

Who is this course for?
This course is designed for those interested in learning more about implementing human rights due diligence in sport as a mechanism to address some of the pressing challenges facing the industry. This ranges from people working at sport governing bodies, sporting event organisers, NGO's protecting the rights of workers, athletes, and fans, government bodies like sport ministries, consultancy firms looking to expand their offering into this evolving field, and more.

Who are the experts?

• Daniela Heerdt (Asser Institute)
• Antoine Duval (Asser Institute)
• Magali Martowicz - (International Olympic Committee – IOC)
• Kat Craig (Athlead)
• Steve Gibbons (Ergon Associates)

Bonus networking event
Daniela Heerdt, the coordinator of this Masterclass, edited first book to explore in depth the topic of mega-sporting events (MSEs) and human rights together with the Centre for Sport and Human Rights's  William Rook and assistant editor Shubham Jain: ‘The Routledge Handbook of Mega-Sporting Events and Human Rights’. The book offers accounts of adverse human rights impacts linked to MSEs while considering the potential for promoting human rights in and through the framework of these events. You are invited to attend the academically oriented discussion on her book after the conclusion of the programme. Attendance to the symposium is optional and free and offers an excellent networking opportunity with academics and practitioners in the field.