Children’s Rights
in Sport Principles

Forward

The Convention on the Rights of the Child, adopted on 20 November 1989,
says that every child has the “right to play.”S p or t h a s t h e i m p or t a nt p ower to pr o m ote c h il d re n’s s o u n d g r ow t h,regardless of their age, gender, place of birth, or whether or not they haveany disabilities.
However, globally, there are cases of sport adversely affecting children.
With the hope that the sport would genuinely promote sound growth andprosperous lives of children, Japan Committee for UNICEF, together with
UNICEF, has developed the Children’s Rights in Sport Principles.

Ryoko Akamatsu
Chairperson
Japan Committee
for UNICEF

I am sincerely grateful to everyone who helped us develop the Principles,
and to all of you who have shown your support to the Principles.
Thank you.

Millions of children take part in sporting activities every day across the world.
For some, this is purely for recreation and fun. For others, sport may be theirchosen future career, as talented athletes, coaches, or officials.
All children have the right to participate in sport in a safe and enjoyable
environment. At the most fundamental level, play is a child’s right, as notedin Article 31 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
The UN along with many other development actors have long held that sport
not only helps to fulfil this right, but that it also helps achieve broader socialand economic development outcomes. We however are also aware of thereality that, in many corners of the world, spor t can bring risks such as
violence and abuse. Sport therefore has a duty to safeguard all children
taking part.
The Children’s Rights in Sport Principles are UNICEF’s first document of thiskind to address this old but still emerging issue, which concerns every one of us.

Andrés Franco
Deputy Director
UNICEF Private Sector
Engagement

We thank the Japan Committee for UNICEF for this initiative, and membersof the draf ting commit tee for their interest, work, and par ticipation, inparticular a number of Japan’s Sport Bodies led by Japan Sport Agency. Ours i n c e r e g r a t i t u d e a l s o g o e s t o U N I C EF U K ’s c h i l d r i g h t s a n d c h i l dsafeguarding experts for their valuable contributions. UNICEF plan to use
this pioneering work by our colleagues, friends and partners in Japan as thestarting point towards the development of a global set of principles, as we
further develop our understanding of child rights and child safeguarding incontext of sport.

Congratulation

Let me congratulate you on the completion of the Children’s Rights in Sport
Principles.

The right of all people to lead a life of happiness and abundance throughsports is made explicit in the Basic Act on Sports. The core of the value ofsports is the fun and joy to be attained through doing sports; that continuing
to do spor ts makes us know courage, confidence, friendship and othervalues, while realizing personal growth, improved physical and mental health,and a life full of meaning and purpose.

Children stand at the start line of life. Ensuring they can savor the value ofsports for the rest of their long lives is important not only to the children
themselves, but for society as a whole.

The Japan Sports Agency completed an international sports strategy on
September 6. That strategy also notes the need for a foundation upon whichhuman rights are protected to ensure that all people can enjoy sports. That
will require safety in all sports venues as well as fairness and equality in the
management of sports.

These things are in common with the Children’s Rights in Sport Principles
you have completed. I have confidence that efforts in line with the Children’s
Rights in Sport Principles will ensure that the value of spor ts reach all
children.

Let me conclude by expressing my great regard for all those involved in thedrafting of these principles, including the Japan Committee for UNICEF, while
hoping for the spread and popularization of these principles.

Daichi Suzuki
Commissioner
Japan Sports Agency

01Children’s Rights in Sport Principles
Expectations for Sports Organizations, Educational Institutions, and Coaches

01

Commit to Respect and Support the Rights of Children

02

Consider Balanced Growth of Children through Sports

03

Protect Children from the Risks of Sports

04

Protect the Health of Children

05

Develop Governance System to Protect the Rights of Children

06

Ensure Understanding and Engagement by Adults Involved
with Children and Sports

Expectations for Sponsoring Companies

07

Incorporate Children’s Rights in Sponsorship Decisions

08

Engage with the Organizations who are Sponsored

Expectations for Adult Athletes

09

Approach and Hold Dialogues with Stakeholders

Expectations for Parents and Guardians of Children

1002

Support the Healthy Growth of Children through Sports© UNICEF/UN031697/Borba

03

Preamble
Sport has the important power to promote children’s sound and well-rounded growth and to convey
a wide and active message to the world through its vast influence.

Every child has the “right to engage in play and recreational activities appropriate
to the age of the child and to participate freely in cultural life and the arts.” iSimilar to education, play and sport can have a great, positive influence on the
lives of childrenii. Children can learn about their society through participation inphysical education, physical activity and sport (hereinafter refereed as ‘sport’)
including cooperation with others, self-control, observation of rules, and respect
for others. Programs for reconciliation and peace through sports activities havealso been implemented around the world and been a force for good.

Spor t is universally shared across human culture, based on voluntar yparticipation. Lifelong participation in sport can promote prosperous living andcultural development, and is integral to the pursuit of health and well-being,
including for children.

Unfortunately, diverse cases have been observed, of sport adversely affecting
children’s rights, such as corporal punishment, bullying and allowing children to
over train in the course of sports instruction, practice, and matches iii. As thescaling-up, commercialization, and early specialization in sport continues, it has
been pointed out that the understanding and development of systems related tothe protection of the rights of children is inadequate.

Against the backdrop of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child - which
provides for the protection of children from all forms of physical and mental
violence, unfair treatment and exploitation - the reality that sport can be acontext where such maltreatment takes place has been gradually recognized
and addressed in recent years.

When we get it right in sport we can have wider impacts on other aspects oflives of children because of the great influence sport has. In this context, there
are some movements that have taken action. For example, the World Players
Association, of which more than 100 professional sport associations from morethan 60 countries are members, has adopted the Declaration on Safeguarding
the Rights of Child Athletes iv. While the power of sport is attracting much global

04attention due to various mega sports events including Olympics/Paralympics,
FIFA, Rugby and other World Cups and world matches, and the spread ofs p or t s ac ro s s b or d er s, it i s ex tre m e ly im p or t ant for a w i d e r an g e ofstakeholders to work together to ensure that sport truly supports the soundgrowth of children and does not negatively affect their rightsv.

The Children’s Rights in Sports Principles exist so that all stakeholders involvedin sports including sports organizations, educational institutions, sponsor
companies and organizations, adult athletes and their organizations, coaches,parents and guardians should support these Principles byvi:• Expressing their commitment to take actions towards implementing thePrinciples;• Striving to actively disclose and explain the status of that implementation topromote mutual collaboration and dialogue in this area.

Definition
Children:Every person under the age of eighteen years.

Children in Sport:

Children that participate, in any form, in physical education, physical activity
and sport, including those who aspire to become professional athletes orofficials, and those who play sports or participate other aspects of sport for
leisure, recreational and exercise reasons (e.g. ball-boys and girls). Young
persons aged 18 years and older may receive protection in accordance withthese Principles if they have similar needs for protection and support.

Sports Organizations:Sports organizations include all organizations where their main purpose is toconduct or oversee sporting activities.

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Expectations for Sports Organizations,
Educational Institutions, and Coaches

06

01

Commit to Respect and Support the Rights of Children

Commit to respect and support the rights of children, based on the spirit of the UN Convention on the
Rights of the Child. Specifically, endorse the following universal values and share them within andoutside of their organization.

a.

Always act in the best interests of the child
Make the best interests of the child the paramount consideration in all
actions concerning children. Noting that the “win at all costs” mentality does
not always serve the best interests of the child, or foster children’ s lifelong
participation in sport.

b.

Respect the views of the child
Respect that children can express their views freely in all matters affecting
themselves, including their willingness or unwillingness to participate inmatches and practice, in accordance with their age and maturity. Respect theviews of the child on how they wish to par ticipate in and enjoy spor t,
including those aiming to become professional athletes and those wishing toenjoy sport as a leisure and recreation activity.

c.

Non discrimination of children
Ensure no child is discriminated on the basis of their gender, ethnicity, birth,sexual orientation or identity, language, religion, culture, political or other
opinion, national or social origin, disability, or economic or other status of thechild or his or her parents or guardians.
For children with a disability steps should be taken to provide parasport
activities, or to adapt sports so that participation can be enjoyed alongsidechildren without a disability. This may involve making facilities universal indesign, ensuring they are appropriately supported by officials, coaches andother support personnel, or adapting the rules of the sport or equipment to
be inclusive for disabled athletes.

d.

Protect children from all forms of violence and adverse impact on their rights
Eliminate all forms of violence and abuse against children and address
issues that adversely affect the rights of children.

e.

Commit to supporting the rights of children through sport
Commit to actively support children’s rights through supporting sound andwell-rounded physical and mental development through sport, as well as promoting
the fundamental values of sport including fair play, teamwork and respect.

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© UNICEF/UN020637/Chanlewis

02

Consider Balanced Growth of Children through Sports

Help children achieve holistic and comprehensive personal development by considering how tobalance with other non-sporting activities including rest, time spent with family, leisure and recreationand learning. Specifically, the following perspectives should be taken into account, and efforts should
be made in accordance with the size, character, and activities of each organization.

a.

Promote balanced growth of children
Respect the time children spend with their families and ensure their right tofamily life.
To help the child develop his or her personality, talents, and mental andphysical abilities to their fullest potential, promote balanced grow th ofchildren by allowing them sufficient opportunities to engage in learning, play,sport, leisure and recreational activities appropriate to the age of the child,and to participate freely in cultural and art activities.
Promote honesty, fairness and integrity of sport and the virtue of fair play andteamwork among children, and provide them with the information needed topromote balanced growth such as on the importance of education, the needfor a healthy and balanced diet and lifestyle, and for protection from all formsof violence against children, including bullying.
Also provide information about the risks and dangers associated with asporting career, including that the lifetime as elite athletes can be short andthat opportunities for sporting success may be interrupted due to accident or
injury.

b.

Ensure opportunities for education/learning
Afford all children involved in sport, including those who are aspiring to beelite athletes, sufficient time for learning.
Provide children with access to appropriately qualified academic and life
advisors outside of sports, and assist with preparing them for the transition to
the next phase of their lives, including potential future employment outside
sport.

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03

Protect Children from the Risks of Sports

Protect children from risks such as violence and abuse and ensure an environment in whichchildren can play sports safely. Specifically, the following perspectives should be taken into
account, and efforts should be considered in accordance with the size, character, and activitiesof each organization.

a.

Protect children from violence and abuse
Throughout the course of sports instruction, practice and matches, eliminate
all forms of physical or mental violence, injur y, abuse (including sexual
abuse), excessive training, harassment (sexual and power harassment),
bullying, hazing, neglect, negligent treatment, maltreatment, exploitation,
excessive rules and/or punishment and trafficking.
Do not tolerate any physical or mental abuse or demeaning language ortreatment of children, including that conducted by other children or via social
media.
Collect data on cases of injur y during spor ts instruction, practice andmatches and analyze the underlying causes of the results.

b.

Make sure children are taught by qualified personnel
with appropriate coaching skills
Make sure that all personnel who are involved in teaching, coaching, medical
support and administration of sport have appropriate qualifications, training
and access to continuous professional development.

c.

Guarantee a safe sporting environment for children
Guarantee a safe and secure environment for children to practice, compete
and officiate in sport, including by ensuring the prevention of sport-related
accidents, and ensuring a secure spor ting environment which is only
accessible to persons who have passed background checks.
Provide children with safe and appropriate transpor tation of a suitable
quality, housing, and meals when they travel to play sports.

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d.

Ensure the sporting environment for children freefrom fraudulent conduct
Ensure that children can play sports without engaging in fraudulent conduct(e.g. match fixing, corruption and manipulation) triggered by prestige or
economic interests.
Re c ognizing that c hildren are more likely to be c ome vi c tims of su c hmisconduct compared to adults, as the scaling-up and commercialization ofsports progresses, educate and discipline all persons involved in children’s
sports (also known as “entourage” vii) on this matter.
Prevent persons, including coaches, who have the authorit y to decide
whether or not to allow children to par ticipate in games, from receiving
economic or other rewards that may influence their decisions, to ensure
fairness and transparency.

e.

Protect children from all forms of exploitation
Make sure that children are protected from all forms of exploitation including
political, social as well as economic exploitation.

11© UNICEF/UNI48756/Estey

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04

Protect the Health of Children

Protect the physical and mental health of children, including protecting them from doping.
Specifically, the following perspectives should be taken into account, and efforts should bemade in accordance with the size, character, and activities of each organization.

a.

Protect the physical and mental health of children
Consider the appropriate type, intensity and method of teaching sport according
to the age and development of the child.
Based on scientific and medical knowledge, ensure that sport does notnegatively affect the physical and mental health of children, including throughburn-out, by excessive training. Recognize that pushing children into thosesituations may constitute a form of child abuse. Contribute to setting rules on thelimit and extent of training and participation in matches, in collaboration with
relevant stakeholders outside of the organization as appropriate.
Recognize that adults tend to have unrealistic expectations that can cause
children to over-work without due consideration for the risks of serious injuries
that could affect their future lives, and encourage children to make calm
judgments by means such as appropriately notif ying them of the risks
associated with sports, and effectively protecting the mental and physical healthof children, by creating an environment in which all persons involved respect the
judgment of children without imposing excessive pressure on them.
Provide children with ready access to certified athletic trainers and/or medical
doctors, as well as other relevant professionals to educate and counsel thechildren on physical and mental health.

b.

Protect children from doping and provide nutritional guidance
Based on scientific and medical knowledge, protect children from all doping andensure that legal substances, such as nutritional supplements for the purpose of
performance enhancement are never provided to children without duly considering
the effect on children’s short and long-term physical and mental health. Recognizethat pushing children into doping may constitute a form of child abuse.
Provide all persons involved, including coaches medical staff and caregivers, withaccess to education on proper nutrition, the need for a healthy diet, and theappropriate use of medicines and supplements for children, from an appropriately
qualified professional.
Provide all relevant persons with the information they need to identify and refer tofor support, in cases of eating disorders or disordered eating amongst children
taking part in sport, recognizing the particular risks in weight-making sports.

c.

Help establish an appropriate and balanced lifestyle
Recognizing that 24 hours is not all for sport, help establish an appropriate andbalanced lifestyle for children, setting appropriate time allocation for sports
vis-a-vis time for learning and other activities, as well as for rest and sleep.

13© UNICEF/UN0145773/Dubourthoumieu

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mieu

05

Develop Governance System to Protect the Rights of Children

Develop a governance system to effectively implement Principles 1 to 4. Specifically, thefollowing measures should be implemented in accordance with the size, character, and activityof each organization.

a.

Formulate and publish basic policies
Formulate a policy for committing to Principles 1 to 4 (including those
covering wider aspects including the rights of children) and publicize thepolicy inside and outside of the organization.

b.

Identify and assess risks and adopt appropriate measures according to
the level of risks
Identify and assess any actual or potential adverse impact on the rights ofc hil dren in ac c or d an c e with the nature an d ac tivities of eac h s p or ts
organization, and implement measures according to the identified risks.

c.

Establish and implement rules, guidelines, and codes of conducts
Establish specific rules, guidelines, and codes of conducts to implement thepolicies for respecting and suppor ting the rights of children set out in
Principles 1 to 4, and ensure that they are followed by all persons involved.

d.

Monitor and continuously improve
Monitor regularly whether violence, over training and other issues thatadversely affect the rights of children occur in the course of sport instruction,practice, and matches.
Continue to review and improve the status of efforts to respect and support
the rights of children based on the results of monitoring.

e.

Secure reporting mechanisms and remedy channels to address problems
Ensure that children have access to services to report and consult safely andconfidentially on violence, overtraining and other issues that adversely affecttheir rights. Provide children with information about their rights and about how
they can report and discuss their concerns.
Prepare mechanisms that allow third parties or anyone who is worried, toreport or make their concerns known on issues that might adversely affect therights of children.
Ensure access to effective remedies that are appropriate to the needs ofchildren by placing top priority on the best interest of the child when receiving
concerns or complaints. Ensure that remedy channels are accessible tochildren and that children are able to participate in them meaningfully.

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© UNICEF/UN041077/Calkic

06

Ensure Understanding and Engagement
by Adults Involved with Children and Sports

Promote understanding and dialogue among all persons involved in order to ensure effective
implementation of the Principles. Specifically, the following measures should be implemented inaccordance with the size, character, and activity of the organization.

a.

Ensure appropriate recruitment and educationof persons supporting children in sport
Adopt appropriate standards for recruiting persons supporting children in
sport, including coaches, official, teachers, trainers and volunteers, to ensurethat they do not adversely affect children’ s rights, through such measures as
incorporating respect for children’ s rights in recruitment standards, andchecking prior records of abuse.
Hold regular educational and training opportunities to promote the proper
understanding and implementation of these Principles, in collaboration with
relevant organizations as appropriate.

b.

Promote understanding of all concerned through engagement
Promote the understanding of the Principles among all those involved
through regular dialogues within the organization including with the children,
and with ex ternal stakeholders including guardians, schools and adultathletes, so that the Principles are properly implemented according to eachspecific situation. Provide children with a safe and secure space in which toshare their issues, concerns and ideas.

17
alkic

Expectations for Sponsoring Companies

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07

Incorporate Children’s Rights in Sponsorship Decisions

In deciding whether or not to sponsor a sport organization or an educational
institution, take into account the state of the sport organization’s efforts in
respecting and supporting the rights of children as set out in Principles 1 to 6.
Where appropriate, require the spor t organization or the educational
institution to make explicit commitments to respect and support the rights ofchildren, in accordance with Principles 1 to 6, as a condition of sponsorship.

08

Engage with the Organizations who are SponsoredAsk sports organizations and educational institutions who are sponsored to
explain their ef for ts to respect and promote the rights of children, as
stipulated in Principles 1 to 6, in accordance with their specific risks, and use
leverage to encourage them to implement any measures which have notbeen fully implemented.

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Expectations for Adult Athletes

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09

Approach and Hold Dialogues with Stakeholders

Given that children are often placed in a position that makes it difficult for them to speak out on
issues that negatively affect their rights and those of other children due to their vulnerabilities,
expectations and pressure from others and the extent of their ability to articulate their concerns,
adult athletes who may have similar experience, and represent or support children or share theirconcerns, should be encouraged to work with other stakeholders to support children in thefollowing ways.

a.

Encourage stakeholders including sports organizations to support andprotect children
Based on their own experiences, hold dialogues with stakeholders including
sports organizations and sponsor companies on how to respect and support
the rights children, and urge them to implement initiatives in accordance with
Principles 1 to 8.

b.

Hold Dialogues with Children
Share, to the extent possible and appropriate, their experiences with children
and their guardians, raising awareness and understanding of the issues
children can face in sport to make it easier for children to discuss and seek
help on is sues su c h as violen c e, over training, and other is sues thatadversely affect children’s rights.

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Expectations for Parents andGuardians of Children

10Support the Healthy Growth of Children through Sports

Parents and guardians of children should support the sound and balanced growth of theirchildren by taking the following measures, taking into account the important role they play inproviding children with physical and mental support, and their role in communicating the power
and opportunities of sports, and the ways in which they can support the activities of sports
organizations and educational institutions.

a.

Support Healthy and Balanced Growth of Children
Recognizing the importance of their role as the foremost protector of theirchildren, help them reach their potential and enjoy their time in sports, by
caring for them with consideration to a balanced lifecycle. Ensure they
discuss with their child how he or she wants to participate in and enjoy sports,
what kind of support the child feels they need, and do not create any negative
impact on children including by excessive expectations or involvement.
Recognize that children can sometimes push themselves too hard and adults
may need to set appropriate boundaries to protect them from this.

b.

Hold Dialogues with Stakeholders and Take Actions
to Protect Rights of Children
Implement the relevant items in Principles 1 to 4 from the standpoint of
parents and guardians, while holding constructive dialogues with otherrelevant stakeholders including the sport organizations.

c.

Support Addressing Issues that Adversely Affect the Rights of Children
Continuously monitor whether there are issues that adversely affect therights of the child. If advised by the child or if they identify themselves
violations of child rights, support developing a solution to the problem in amanner that gives top priority to the best interests of the child.

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Note

i
Ar ticle 31, paragraph 1, of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, “State par ties
recognize the right of the child to rest and leisure and the right of the child to engage freely
in cultural life and the arts, as well as playing and recreational activities appropriate to his or
her age.”Committee on the Rights of the Child, “General comment No.17 (2013) on the right of thechild to rest, leisure, play, recreational activities, cultural life and the arts (art. 31).”ii

For example, UNICEF Innocenti Research Centre, “Protecting Children from Violence inSport: A Review with a Focus on Industrialized Countries”, 2010.

iii

iv
Published on 8 November 2017. Stipulates the best interests of the child as the guiding
principle and includes such components as protection of children from violence, abuses andother risks in sport, ensuring right to education, and hearing children’s voices.

This document is formulated based on the Children’s Rights and Business Principles(CRBP) as its model. The CRBP set out ten principles for companies and organizations torespect and support children’s rights, complementing the UN Guiding Principles on Businessand Human Rights which require companies and organizations to assess and address
adverse human rights impacts as part of their responsibility to respect human rights.
v

vi
When there are individual circumstances which makes it inappropriate to implement theseprinciples in their entirety, efforts shall be made to explain the circumstances.

Guidelines for the Conduct of the Athletes’ Entourage approved by the IOC Executive
Board in Durban- 4 July 2011 define the Entourage as “all the people associated with theathletes, including, without limitation, managers, agents, coaches, physical trainers, medical
staff, scientists, sports organisations, sponsors, lawyers and any person promoting theathlete’s sporting career, including family members.”vii

with the support of

All Japan High School
Athletic Federation

Nippon Junior High School
Physical Culture Association

24

As of October, 2018

National Association ofUpper Secondary School Principals
All Japan Junior high school
Principal’s Association
Japan Federation of Primary School
Principals Association

© UNICEF/UN055882/Al-Issa

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for every child, play and sportChildren’ s Rights in Sport Principles
Japan Committee for UNICEF - Tokyo, JAPAN© Japan Committee for UNICEF - December 2018 (2nd Edition)
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