The State of Play Between Managing Major Sports Events and Human Rights: a Scoping Review

Abstract

This scoping review integrates literature from diverse perspectives to better understand when and how management of major sport events promotes or harms human rights. The authors critically review 130 peer-reviewed English language articles to identify conceptual contributions to research and practice. The findings reveal that politics and political reform, legal frameworks and organizational actions are crucial influences in when and how management of events promotes or harms human rights. The most frequently considered rights in the literature are: equality, human trafficking-related, sport as a human right, worker rights and freedom of residence. Activism for human rights stimulates change within relevant stakeholders via collaboration, naming and shaming, in-public debates and media coverage. The committed, transparent and inclusive consideration of human rights in all stages of managing sport events (from bid preparation, bidding, planning and hosting to post-event leverage) may increase the likelihood that the event has social benefits.