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ARTICLE 19 appeals to the British government, the British Olympic Association (BOA), the International Olympic Association (IOC) and esteemed athletes attending the 100th anniversary of the 1908 British Olympics to work together to make London 2012 a truly Olympian event, standing for the Olympic spirit.
London and Great Britain have a unique opportunity following this year’s worldwide protests to present and emphasise London 2012 as a true celebration of the Olympic Spirit.
According to the 4th Fundamental Principle of Olympism in the Olympic Charter, “The practice of sport is a human right. Every individual must have the possibility of practising sport, without discrimination of any kind and in the Olympic spirit, which requires mutual understanding with a spirit of friendship, solidarity and fair play.”
Despite these principles, the Olympics have become characterised by censorship, discrimination against women, worldwide protests, and the domination of commercial interests and sponsors at the expense of a celebration of universal values and friendship. For instance,
• The dominant interpretation of Article 51(3) of the Olympic Charter which states that “No kind of demonstration or political, religious or racial propaganda is permitted” has resulted in an overall climate of censorship, with athletes prevented from commenting or speaking out on human rights issues. This constitutes a violation of the athletes’ right to freedom of expression and is in direct contradiction with the Fundamental Principles of Olympism which include, among other things, the “preservation of human dignity”.
• Three countries are preventing women from participating in the Olympics, thus violating women’s right to freedom of expression through sport, and the most fundamental principle at the heart of human rights and the Olympics: that of non-discrimination.
ARTICLE 19 urges the British government, the London Mayor, the BOA, and the IOC to fully address these challenges over the next four years so that London 2012 is a truly Olympic event.
ARTICLE 19 calls on the British authorities to consider all means at their disposal to ensure that London 2012 stands for respect for the Olympic Spirit and human rights, including by supporting the IOC in addressing the challenges that are eating at the heart of the Olympics and the Olympic values.
In particular, the IOC should:
• Set in motion an international review of article 301 resulting in its amendment if required, so that, without any ambiguity, it upholds the right to freedom of expression enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
• Uphold the principle of non-discrimination as enshrined in the Olympic Charter. In particular, it should ensure that no women athletes are prevented from attending the Olympics in 2012. Sport constitutes a form of expression which should be opened to all, without any discrimination.
• Include respect for human rights as a fundamental criteria for the determination of future host countries.
“The 2012 Olympics is a significant opportunity for London and the United Kingdom to stand for, and highlight to the world the true values of Olympism and make lasting changes to the event for the better”, said Dr. Agnès Callamard, Executive Director of ARTICLE 19.
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