Northern Ireland Leads on Sports and Human Rights

In the first event of its kind in Northern Ireland, the Human Rights Commission is hosting a ‘Sports and Human Rights’ discussion today in the MAC. The event will bring together experts on Sports and Human Rights from business and sports industries.

NIHRC Chief Commissioner, Les Allamby, said:

“This is a new area of work for the Human Rights Commission and one that we are delighted to be a part of. We know that human rights violations can increase in countries who host major sporting events and there is evidence of worker and child exploitation and forced eviction from homes in the run up to the sporting events. Major sporting events are often sponsored by large corporations so business, sport and human rights do mix. Northern Ireland will be hosting the European football championships and the Commonwealth Youth Games in the next few years so this will be a timely discussion. We believe that if we get the structures right and human rights protections in place such violations can be prevented. Today’s event is the start of this debate in Northern Ireland and allows us to play a part in improving the legacy for future sporting events.”

Robert McVeigh, Chairman of the Northern Ireland Commonwealth Games Council (NICGC) commented:

“The NICGC is delighted to contribute to what is a global discussion surrounding human rights and sport. With the Commonwealth’s population, numbering more than 2 billion people, experiencing a range of human rights standards it is important that sport is used as a tool to raise awareness of the topic. The Commonwealth Games Federation sees human rights as an important theme for future Games, including the Belfast 2021 Commonwealth Youth Games.”

Speaking at the event will be:

• Caroline Rees (President and Co-Founder of Shift and key advisor on the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights)

• David Grevemberg CBE (CEO of the Commonwealth Games Federation)

• Jim Boyce OBE (Vice-President of FIFA and former President of the IFA)

• Dr Lisa Bradley (Commonwealth Games Silver medallist and Head of Department of International Business at Ulster University)

This event is organised by the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission through its role as Chair of the Commonwealth Forum of National Human Rights, the Northern Ireland Commonwealth Games Council, and the Northern Ireland Business and Human Rights Forum.

All Media are welcome to attend the event.

For Interview Requests - Please contact Claire Martin on Claire.Martin@nihrc.org or 02890243987

ENDS

Notes to editors

1. The Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission is an independent statutory body first proposed in the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement (1998) and established in 1999 by the Northern Ireland Act (1998). It is answerable to Parliament at Westminster.

2. The Human Rights Commission is currently Chair of the Commonwealth Forum of National Human Rights. Find out more about the Forum here.

3. The Commonwealth Youth Games will be hosted in Belfast in 2021. Find out more about the 2021 Games here.

4. Find out more about the Northern Ireland Commonwealth Games Council here.

5. Find out more about the Northern Ireland Business and Human Rights Forum here.