III 

117TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 495 

Urging the International Olympic Committee to relocate the 2022 Beijing 

Winter Olympic Games in response to the refusal of the People’s Republic 

of China to end its egregious human rights abuses, including genocide, 

forced labor, and crimes against humanity. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JANUARY 20, 2022 

Mr. LANKFORD (for himself and Mr. RUBIO) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 

Transportation 

RESOLUTION 

Urging the International Olympic Committee to relocate the 

2022 Beijing Winter Olympic Games in response to the 

refusal of the People’s Republic of China to end its 

egregious human rights abuses, including genocide, 

forced labor, and crimes against humanity. 

Whereas the Olympic Games should never be held in a country whose government is actively committing genocide, 

forced labor, and crimes against humanity; 

Whereas the ongoing crimes against humanity perpetrated by 

the Chinese Communist Party in the Xinjiang Uyghur 

Autonomous Region include— 


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•SRES 495 IS 

(1) the arbitrary imprisonment and other types of 

severe deprivation of physical liberty of more than 

1,800,000 civilians; 

(2) forced sterilization; 

(3) forced abortion; 

(4) infanticide; 

(5) torture; 

(6) forced labor; and 

(7) restrictions on freedom of religion or belief, freedom of expression, and freedom of movement; 

Whereas the Chinese Communist Party is committing ongoing genocide as a direct attempt to forcibly ‘‘assimilate’’, 

or eventually eliminate, vulnerable ethnic and religious 

groups; 

Whereas, on December 9, 1948, the United Nations General 

Assembly unanimously adopted the Convention on the 

Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, 

done at Paris December 9, 1948 (referred to in this preamble as the ‘‘Genocide Convention’’), as a commitment 

of ‘‘never again’’ in response to the Holocaust and other 

crimes against humanity committed in the first half of 

the 20th century; 

Whereas, on November 5, 1988, the United States ratified 

the Genocide Convention with the understanding that the 

Genocide Convention declares that all state parties ‘‘confirm that genocide, whether committed in time of peace 

or in time of war, is a crime under international law 

which they undertake to prevent and to punish’’; 

Whereas, on January 19, 2021, former Secretary of State 

Michael Pompeo determined that the Chinese Communist 

Party has committed genocide and crimes against huVerDate Sep 11 2014 23:46 Jan 20, 2022 Jkt 029200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR495.IS SR495

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•SRES 495 IS 

manity, and Secretary of State Antony Blinken has expressed agreement with that determination; 

Whereas, as of January 2022, 152 countries, including the 

People’s Republic of China, have ratified or acceded to 

the Genocide Convention, and each such country has its 

own national Olympic committee and is recognized by the 

International Olympic Committee; 

Whereas the International Olympic Committee should always 

take human rights into account in making decisions, especially in choosing a host country for the Olympic 

Games; 

Whereas in March 2020, human rights expert Rachel Davis 

and former United Nations High Commissioner for 

Human Rights HRH Prince Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein submitted to the International Olympic Committee a report 

containing human rights recommendations; 

Whereas, on December 2, 2020, the International Olympic 

Committee announced that it would incorporate ‘‘human 

rights standards into the ‘Operational Requirements’ of 

the Host City Contract for the Olympic Games 2024 and 

beyond’’, which does not apply to the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic Games; 

Whereas in their report, Rachel Davis and Zeid Ra’ad Al 

Hussein— 

(1) note that ‘‘the human rights impacts that could 

be connected to the [2022 Beijing Winter Olympic] 

Games are severe—as our consultations with expert civil 

society stakeholders also confirmed—and addressing 

them remains challenging’’; and 

(2) urge the International Olympic Committee to 

consider ‘‘strengthening [human rights] due diligence 


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across its operations [before 2024] and advancing the 

agreed strategic approach to engaging with Beijing 2022 

on human rights, with support from the top levels of the 

organization and informed by the [International Olympic 

Committee’s] own consultations with expert stakeholders’’; 

Whereas there are no human rights conditions set forth in 

the host city contract between the International Olympic 

Committee and the Government of the People’s Republic 

of China; 

Whereas there is no evidence that the International Olympic 

Committee has taken any steps to pressure the Government of the People’s Republic of China to change its behavior; 

Whereas the code of ethics of the International Olympic Committee sets forth universal fundamental ethical principles 

that are the foundation of Olympism, including— 

(1) ‘‘respect of the principle of the universality and 

political neutrality of the Olympic Movement’’; and 

(2) ‘‘maintaining harmonious relations with state 

authorities, while respecting the principle of autonomy as 

set out in the Olympic Charter’’; 

Whereas, historically, the International Olympic Committee 

has not maintained political neutrality, including by— 

(1) requiring the Government of Germany to accept 

qualified Jewish athletes on German Olympic team during the 1936 Olympic Games; 

(2) revoking South Africa’s invitation in opposition 

to the Government of South Africa’s policy of apartheid 

during 1964 Olympic Games; and 

(3) in 1948, banning Germany and Japan from participating in the first Olympic Games after World War II; 


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Whereas taking action against genocide and crimes against 

humanity is a matter of morality, not politics; 

Whereas the absence of rule of law and due process in the 

People’s Republic of China inhibits the ability of the 

International Olympic Committee and the respective national Olympic committees of participate countries to ensure the safety of all athletes, staff, and spectators 

throughout the duration of the 2022 Beijing Winter 

Olympic Games; 

Whereas, on November 2, 2021, 3-time Olympian Peng Shuai 

disappeared after stating that she had been sexually assaulted and forced into a sexual relationship with Zhang 

Gaoli, a former Vice Premier and member of the Chinese 

Communist Party Politburo Standing Committee; 

Whereas the International Olympic Committee’s acceptance 

of the Chinese Communist Party cover-up of sexual assault allegations and dismissal of safety concerns for 

Peng Shuai call into question the International Olympic 

Committee’s willingness to protect athletes participating 

in the 2022 Olympic Games in Beijing; 

Whereas the International Olympic Committee should not 

force athletes to choose between their conscience and 

their pursuit of the highest goals in athletics; 

Whereas Olympic athletes should not have to worry about— 

(1) wearing clothing or consuming food that is a 

product of forced labor; or 

(2) being penalized or detained by the host government for exercising their right to speak out against genocide, crimes against humanity, and any other human 

rights abuse; 


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•SRES 495 IS 

Whereas it is in the best interest of the athletes to move the 

Olympic Games in fulfillment of the International Olympic Committee’s mission ‘‘to promote safe sport and the 

protection of athletes from all forms of harassment and 

abuse’’ and ‘‘oppose any political or commercial abuse of 

sport and athletes’’; 

Whereas during the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, the Government of the People’s Republic of China broke its commitment to the International Olympic Committee when 

it— 

(1) displaced Chinese residents in order to construct 

Olympic venues; 

(2) detained demonstrators; 

(3) censored the internet; and 

(4) restricted media access and the freedom of 

speech; 

Whereas the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games provided the Government of the People’s Republic of China the ability to 

perpetuate propaganda and distract from ongoing human 

rights abuses; 

Whereas the International Olympic Committee should consider the individuals who will not be able to celebrate the 

Olympic spirit because they have been unjustly detained, 

imprisoned, beaten, or worse by the government the 

International Olympic Committee selected to host the 

2022 Winter Olympic Games; 

Whereas it reflects poorly on the entire Olympic movement, 

and therefore the international community in general, to 

proceed with holding the Olympic Games in a country 

whose government is committing genocide and crimes 

against humanity; 


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•SRES 495 IS 

Whereas, on March 24, 2020, 4 months before the start of 

the 2020 Summer Olympics, the International Olympic 

Committee and the Government of Japan announced the 

postponement of the Tokyo Olympic Games due to the 

COVID–19 pandemic, an action that demonstrates the 

ability to postpone the Olympic Games on short notice; 

Whereas the International Olympic Committee has the right 

to terminate the host city contract with the People’s Republic of China if, at any time, ‘‘the IOC has reasonable 

grounds to believe, in its sole discretion, that the safety 

of participants in the Games would be seriously threatened or jeopardized for any reason whatsoever’’; 

Whereas relocating the 2022 Winter Olympic Games due to 

ongoing genocide and crimes against humanity perpetrated by the Government of the People’s Republic of 

China is consistent with the vision of the International 

Olympic Committee to build a better world through sport; 

and 

Whereas the International Olympic Committee failed to adhere to its own human rights commitments by extending 

the honor of hosting the 2022 Olympic Games to Beijing, 

particularly after Chinese authorities violated commitments to the International Olympic Committee in 2008: 

Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate urges— 

2 (1) the International Olympic Committee to re3 locate the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic Games to 

4 another country in response to the refusal of the 

5 People’s Republic of China to stop committing geno6 cide and crimes against humanity; 


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•SRES 495 IS 

1 (2) the International Olympic Committee to 

2 take human rights into account in all decisions, es3 pecially in selecting future host countries for the 

4 Olympic Games; and 

5 (3) the Chinese Communist Party to imme6 diately cease harassment of tennis star Peng Shuai 

7 and ensure her safety and freedom. 

Æ 


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