Human Rights Now has given an oral statement at the 56th Session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva during a Panel on the Olympic Games. The statement focuses on human rights problems during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, including discrimination and labor rights issues for venue construction workers, for which there must be accountability to prevent recurrences.
A transcript of the statement is below the following video. The video is also available on the webstream of the session on the UN’s video streaming site at the following link: https://webtv.un.org/en/asset/k1i/k1ifjj8kmw?kalturaStartTime=6657
Transcript:
Thank you Mr. President. The Olympic Charter underscores the need to respect internationally recognized human rights as a fundamental principle, but this was not fully implemented for the Tokyo Olympics.
Gender based discrimination and harassment prevailed in the Tokyo Olympics preparation, including sexist remarks by the Tokyo Olympic Chief and discriminatory behavior by the creators of the opening and closing ceremonies against persons with disability and women. Discrimination and harassment based on gender, race, LGBT, and disability status still continue at all levels of sports in Japan, as well as child abuse in sports.
The Tokyo Olympics also saw labor rights abuses for venue construction workers including harsh working conditions, low wages, and dangerous patterns of overwork. Although the Sustainable Sourcing Code was introduced, there was no transparency in its implementation, and the grievance mechanism was poorly accessible. One workers’ grievance was rejected because it was filed by a union and not workers, who are often threatened if they come forward. Lack of diversity in the preparation committee was a root cause of reported corruption, and several bribery allegations are being tried.
The lack of thorough investigation of the governance and human rights policy and implementation of the Tokyo Olympic Games is shameful. Without accountability, it is impossible to prevent recurrence. The Olympic Charter must not be used to sportswash human rights abuses.
Thank you.