The United Nations passed a resolution recognizing the autonomy of sports, a move praised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
The upshot of the resolution is that it calls for sport to exist independently of politics, meaning that nations shouldn’t boycott sporting events to make political statements, among other things.
IOC President Thomas Bach actually called on the United Nations to make this distinction a year ago in a speech to the U.N. General Assembly in New York. At the time, Bach said that “Sport [is] truly the only area of human existence which has achieved universal law. But to apply this universal law worldwide,” he continued, “sport has to enjoy responsible autonomy. Politics must respect this sporting autonomy.”
The IOC has roundly praised the resolution, calling it a “historic milestone.” The resolution should encourage United Nations members to participate in international sporting events while discouraging political boycotts of events like the Olympics.
The boycotting of major sporting events for political reasons is still fairly common. Though political reasoning wasn’t given when Egypt withdrew all of its swimmers from the Doha, Qatar Short Course World Championships earlier this month, the nation was one of several Arab League members to skip various sporting world championships amidst turmoil in the Middle East.
There were even occasional calls for nations to boycott next summer’s World Swimming Championships in Kazan, Russia, due to the conflict between Russian and the Ukraine. This resolution makes clear that the U.N. would frown on such action.
Probably the most notable political boycott of a sporting event came in 1980, when multiple nations, including the United States, refused to attend the Olympic Games in Moscow, Russia.
The IOC has already promoted this ideal of sport autonomy, but had very limited ability to sanction nations that chose to boycott sporting events. The United Nations has a much greater capacity to enforce their resolution, if they ever feel the need to.
Blah.. Blah… Blah.. IOC and the sporting federations may not be involved directly in politics, but they are certainly not embarrassed to support particular government or regime by giving them rights to host events or presenting them with awards just because thoae governments and leaders are more than willing to lavish extravagant perks to the big wigs of IOC, FINA, FIFA, etc.
Case in point : FINA giving Putin medal of honor for swimming while Russia recorded by far the most positive tests in the past 2-3 years that any other country.