Remedy and redress for sport-related human rights abuses

Participation or involvement in sport carries with it many benefits, including the potential to advance human rights. However, like any other sector or part of society, sport can also cause or be linked to harm and abuse, situations that may be exacerbated or overlooked precisely because sport is typically a good thing, and is characterised by a high degree of autonomy and self-regulation. This special issue is published at a time when a broad sport and human rights agenda is gathering momentum, with particular scrutiny on the human rights impacts of mega sport events (MSEs), notably the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games, and the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. While these MSEs have drawn the spotlight, the range of human rights issues linked to sport go much deeper and wider into the day-to-day fabric of sport. Indeed, human rights abuses linked to sport occur at local, regional, and global levels, both on and off the field, before, during, and after competitions and matches, as well as close to and far away from sporting event venues. They involve, among others, cases of discrimination and racism, exploitation, displacement, violence, and abuse, which can affect athletes including child athletes, as well as communities, families and individuals attending as fans or living in and around countries that host sport events, workers on construction sites for sport infrastructure and in the supply chain.