At a conference hosted by ICSS Europe and the European Commission, international experts and leading policy-makers gathered in Brussels on Tuesday to call for sports bodies and governments to act against the trafficking of young people through sport. 

The international movement of young athletes has risen dramatically in recent years. 

“According to the United Nations, human trafficking is the third largest criminal enterprise in the world. However, trafficking of young athletes through sport, particularly football, is still a taboo in the industry,” said Emanuel Macedo de Medeiros, CEO of ICSS EUROPE.

“As an international organisation working to protect sport, the ICSS is committed to protecting young athletes and raising awareness about the growing issue of child trafficking in sport. Young athletes are not commodities. They are human beings and must be treated as such.

“As a week-long initiative of the European Commission that celebrates sport and physical activity and the positive role it can play in society, the EU Week of Sport was an important platform to raise awareness of the issue and place the topic in the minds of influential decision-makers.”

 “Today also reinforces the ICSS’s commitment to safeguarding young people and I would like to encourage governments, law enforcement agencies and other experts in child protection to ensure that clear, practical and effective standards on recruitment, training, education and protection of children and young people are applied across all sports.”

The conference, which took place during the EU Week of Sport, brought together leading figures from sport, child protection and youth development and education.

“There is definitely a link between mobility of young athletes and trafficking. It is important that we put the issue of the child trafficking through sport, particularly from Africa to sports clubs in Europe, on the agenda of leading organisations in government and sport,” said Pascal Reyntjens, Chief of Mission, International Organisation for Migration (IOM) – Belgium & Luxembourg.

“Despite the clear progress made in the protection of minors and young athletes recently, further discussion between sports organisations and other bodies working in this area must take place.”

The conference also highlighted several themes underling the role of sport in education and how it can enhance economic and social development.

“Sport has the aim to bring people together. It is has the power to change the world and to unite people beyond regions, beyond colours. Sport has no borders and is universal,” said football superstar and UEFA Global Ambassador, Christian Karembeu.

“Through sport, we speak the same language. In sport, we have the same rules, the same life and have the same opportunities. Sport is also a powerful tool for integration and inclusion in wider society.

“I am very proud to be here today and have a strong interest in the topics discussed. Education through sport is very important and through it, we can have balance.”

International organisations attending the conference included: the European Commission, the Council of Europe, UNESCO, United Nations, International Labour Organisation, government organisations, UEFA and other representatives from the sport and Olympic movement, as well leading NGOs.

Mega Sporting Events (MSEs) are not just about huge amounts of money being lavished on glamorous international competitions, as is often perceived by the general public; they are also about values.

Events such as the World Cup or the Olympic Games carry positive values for children. Practising sport can contribute greatly to the harmonious development of a child and thus, within this perspective, big events can constitute a driving force for social development.

However, large-scale sporting events pose risks for children as well. The need to create new sports infrastructure, and the subsequent obligation to relocate whole communities, can tear families apart, as shown in Rio since the city was awarded the Olympic Games in 2009. During preparations for the 2016 Olympics, and before it the 2014 World, 22,000 families were evicted from their original location.

Further to this, children in a street situation were removed and placed in overcrowded detention centres for the duration of the sporting event. Production of footballs or clothing linked to MSEs may bring cases of child labour down the value chain. Construction, with a high concentration of workers, or the event itself, with an increased number of visitors, can increase the risk of sexual exploitation for minors.

Therefore it is in the interest of all stakeholders involved in the organisation of MSEs that the positive values and benefits for children should be preserved and the risks mitigated. To that end, Terre des Hommes, a global child rights organisation active in almost 70 countries, launched a campaign called Children Win in 2014.

The campaign is based on a threefold strategy. Firstly, it documents the impacts of Mega Sporting Events on children (according to the United Nations’ Convention on the Rights of the Child, a child is defined as anyone under 18), as most recently in the case of the Rio Olympics (see the briefing paper “Breaking Records”).

Secondly, it engages in a dialogue as constructive as possible, in particular with sport governing bodies, in order:

1. that the organisation, from bidding to legacy, of a sporting event comply with human rights and children rights’ criteria;
2. that the bidding process is conducted in a transparent and open manner;
3. that security measures inherent to the organisation of MSEs do not infringe the rights of the local population, in particular to the most vulnerable groups such as children.

Thirdly, the campaign monitors the implementation of the criteria and the steps taken by stakeholders connected to MSEs.

It is clear that the world of international sports has some way to go. Over the last two years, various sport governing bodies and MSE organisers have shown encouraging signs in taking into consideration the human rights and children rights dimensions in the bidding process. Efforts need to be pursued at two levels:

1. To monitor the situation for the MSE awarded to a host before this last two years, when human rights and children rights were taken into consideration, such as the World Cup in Russia or the Summer Olympics in Tokyo.
2. To work on bidding documents edited by sport governing bodies to frame the process of awarding the MSE of 2024, or 2026 and beyond.

If sport governing bodies still want host countries to be interested in receiving a Mega Sporting Event, the argument of sustainability not only in environmental terms, but as well in regards to the respect for human rights, needs to be strengthened and advertised. Such elements certainly influence the choice of potential host to start preparing a bidding file and take the long road towards the organisation of inspiring global events.

It is too early to tell if this wind of change , which demands that human rights considerations are part of the process during the organisation of MSEs, will blow steadily and bring about the required change of mindset. However Terre des Hommes and its campaign Children Win will continue unabated to work so that children rights get respected by Mega Sporting Events.

This article was written by Terre des Hommes. To know more about the Children Win campaign, please go to www.childrenwin.org. To know more about Terre des Hommes, please go to www.terredeshommes.org. You can support their action and follow them on Facebook and Twitter.

Ignacio Packer, CEO of Terre des Hommes, is speaking at Host City 2016 in Glasgow on 21 November on the panel “Has Sport Lost its Integrity and How Can it Win Confidence Back”