European Athletics convened a landmark Human Rights Workshop in Geneva on Tuesday (11) for Local Organising Committees (LOCs) and major events bidders.
The initiative underscores European Athletics’ commitment to embedding human rights principles at every stage of the event lifecycle-from bidding and planning through to delivery and legacy.
The one-day workshop brought together human rights experts and representatives from major sporting organisations to share knowledge with wide audience of representative of the Member Federations, Local Organising Committees and Cities and exchange on practical tools for identifying, mitigating, and remediating human rights risks associated with major sporting events.
Key Experts and Sessions
The workshop was opened by European Athletics First Vice President Jean Gracia, also chair of the Governance and Integrity Commission and Toralf Nilsson, Member of the European Athletics Governance & Integrity Commission and Chair of the Human Rights Working Group, who introduced the objectives of the day: “To move from principles to practice by ensuring every European Athletics event upholds respect for human dignity, equality, and fair treatment.”
Sessions were led by human rights experts from the Centre for Sport & Human Rights (CSHR) including:
- Marie Porchet, Programmes & Partnerships Coordinator, who introduced the fundamentals of human rights in sport and guided participants through a scenario-based impact assessment exercise.
- Guido Battaglia, Head of Institutional Affairs and Geneva Office, who led discussions on mitigation strategies and practical remedies.
- Alison Biscoe, Head of Programme Development & Capacity Building, who provided an overview of key resources and standards for implementing human rights principles across major sporting events.
A special session focused on the Women’s EURO 2025 as a case study, with speakers, Guillaume Poisson, Chief of Operations at UEFA, Alexander Higgins, Senior Social Affairs Manager at UEFA and Robbie Newton, Senior Coordinator at Human Rights Watch discussing collaborative approaches to human rights management in large-scale events.
Jean Gracia, said: “Embedding human rights is not merely an administrative exercise-it’s about protecting all our stakeholders as athletes, workers, fans, sponsors, and local communities.
“This workshop reflects our commitment to aligning European Athletics’ governance with international standards and to leading by example in the sports movement.”
Christian Milz, CEO of European Athletics, added: “Sport has the power to unite and inspire, but it also carries a responsibility to safeguard the people and communities it touches.
“Through workshops like this, we are equipping organisers with the tools to identify and address human rights issues proactively, ensuring our events are not only world-class in performance, but also in ethics and inclusivity.”
Alison Biscoe of CSHR said: “This workshop marked the first occasion European Athletics convened event organisers to explore and deepen their understanding of human rights.
“The session showcased European Athletics’ leadership and the next step in their journey to further integrate human rights within athletics. Bringing together such a diverse group of LOCs and bidders, it also represented a milestone for us at the Centre by working with event organisers to build knowledge and capacity.”
Commitment to Lasting Change
The workshop was attended by representatives from LOCs for upcoming championships, namely Birmingham 2026 European Athletics Championships, Rieti 2026 European Athletics U18 Championships, Nicosia 2026 -2027 European Throwing Cup, Belgrade 2026 SPAR European Cross Country Championships, Valencia 2027 European Athletics Indoor Championships, Istanbul 2027 European Athletics Team Championships, Bydgoszcz 2027 European Athletics U23/U20 Championships, Belgrade 2027 European Running Championships, Tallinn 2028 European Athletics U18 Championships, Utrecht 2029 European Running Championships and Karlstad 2030 European Athletics U18 Championships.
They were also joined by prospective bid teams for the 2028 and 2030 European Athletics Championships (Belgrade 2028, Silesia 2028, Zurich 2030, Helsinki 2030, Brussels 2030), 2029 European Athletics Indoor Championships (Torun) and 2027 SPAR European Cross Country Championships (Glasgow).
The workshop marks a key step in European Athletics’ broader strategy to integrate human rights due diligence across its operations, guided by the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and international best practices.
Outcomes from the session will feed into the organisation’s ongoing development of human rights frameworks for event bidding, hosting, and legacy planning.