Tokyo 2020 identified potential human rights impacts resulting from an inappropriate security response to physical or verbal communication at the Games. At the same time, the OCOG was concerned with infringements on the principle of non-discrimination enshrined in the Olympic Charter resulting from the verbal or physical communication of individuals. OCOG staff, volunteers, and contractors should have not only basic knowledge of human rights, but also the practical knowledge and ability to respond appropriately to incidents.
To address these risks, Tokyo 2020 established an inter-departmental task force charged with producing a number of outputs:
- The first output was a compilation of common discriminatory verbal expressions and gestures from countries around the world to help staff and volunteers identify discriminatory verbal expressions or gestures.
- The second output was the design of internal guidelines which would assist staff and volunteers to respond to individual situations on a case-by-case basis. The document was conceived of as ‘guidelines’ rather than a ‘manual’ or ‘procedure’ in order to acknowledge the importance of assessing and responding to each individual situation.
Tokyo 2020 then moved to building the capacity of all staff and volunteers on the compilation and the guidelines.
Source: Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralymic Games
