Grzegorz (Greg) Botwina’s Post

An insightful look into the good governance system and its structure. It affects every sport organisation, every sport club.

Need more systematic and structured programs like this one.

The European Capitals and Cities of Sport Federation (ACES Europe) has awarded Baku the status of the “World Capital of Sports for 2026”, according to an official letter addressed May 6 by the international organization to Azerbaijan. The improvement of public health, high-standard sports infrastructure and exemplary activities in promoting sports in Azerbaijan were highly appreciated. At the end of next year, the European Parliament plans to hold an official presentation of the city of Baku as the global sports capital. #WorldCapitalSports2026 #ACESEurope #Baku #Azerbaijan

Read more about #HumanRights and #ResponsibleSponsorship in sports in the eccellent blog post by my colleagues Clara Philippi and Leonel Lisboa!

🚨 Sport unites people and can help overcome differences. It is also a lucrative business that too often comes at the expense of human rights. As the home country of the world’s biggest sports bodies, #Switzerland must ensure that sports bodies respect human rights in all their activities. ☝️ Some of the largest sports bodies such as #FIFA and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) recognize that they have a responsibility to prevent, mitigate and remedy human rights abuses, as outlined in the #UNGuidingPrinciples on Business and Human Rights. ❌ However, Switzerland, which benefits economically from the presence of over 50 international sports federations, does not make such human rights due diligence mandatory – the only initiatives that exist are based on voluntary action. 📢 This needs to change. Join our call with Amnesty International Switzerland to the Federal Council to develop effective measures to ensure that sports associations based in Switzerland comply with their human rights responsibilities. ➡️ Sign the petition now at https://lnkd.in/euZ4-Wm4

How did some of the 20th century’s worst human rights abusers secure hosting or sponsoring some of the most prestigious international sporting events? Long before the Olympics, sports have been used to distract, test policies, ease tensions, and send political messages. With the rise of fascism in Europe in the 1920s, Italian dictator Benito Mussolini pioneered the weaponization of sports for political propaganda, social control, and international soft power projection. In 1932, #FIFA awarded the World Cup’s second edition to Italy, allowing Mussolini to promote fascism. The Italian victory was marked by Mussolini’s grand spectacle, including a massive, fascist-themed trophy, la Coppa del Duce, which he presented to the team. In 1936, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) awarded Tokyo the 1940 Olympics. Tokyo had been seen as an international pariah since leaving the League of Nations in 1933 over its invasion of Manchuria. Japan secured the bid through a secret pact with Mussolini and lavish spending on the IOC. However, after the Nanking Massacre, Japan forfeited the Olympics, which were ultimately canceled due to World War II. HRF’s four-part series will delve into the history of sportswashing, analyzing its ancient roots, its popularity among dictators in the 20th century, and its modern evolution. Read HRF’s latest blog post:

Should sports organisations accept sponsorships tied to potential human rights abuses? In our latest blog post, our consultants Clara Philippi and Leonel Lisboa explore how human rights due diligence (#HRDD) can guide organisations in making ethical #sponsorship decisions. With the world’s attention on major sporting events this summer, such as the UEFA European Football Championships and the #OlympicGames organised by International Olympic Committee – IOC, they highlight the critical role sports organisations play in addressing human rights risks, and the need to balance commercial interests with ethical responsibilities. They emphasise the importance of carefully selecting sponsorships that align with international standards like the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (#UNGPs) to uphold values of sport, avoid complicity in human rights abuses, and maintain the ethical integrity of the global sports community. Read the full blog post to explore how human rights due diligence can help organisations navigate sponsorship dilemmas: https://lnkd.in/dEghyWpB

💡 Dive into an insightful perspective on the future of European sport governance! ISCA's President Mogens Kirkeby attended the recent ministerial conference of the Council of Europe Enlarged Partial Agreement on Sport (EPAS) and gave a speech where he challenged the idea that elite sports drive grassroots participation and highlighted the need for tailored governance models for both the sports entertainment and grassroots sectors. This is a must-read for anyone interested in the future of sport in Europe and the power of grassroots involvement to promote well-being and sustainability. Read the full article here 👉https://lnkd.in/ei2ajirm #GrassrootsSport #SportsGovernance #WellBeing #Sustainability

In light of the recent developments involving our esteemed Indian wrestler, Vinesh Phogat, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has come into the spotlight. Here is a brief overview of CAS and its essential role in international sports: 1. CAS was founded in 1984, in response to the need for a specialized forum capable of adjudicating disputes in a manner that was both impartial and efficient. Its initial mandate focused primarily on Olympic sports, but over time, the Court's jurisdiction expanded to encompass all sports-related matters. By 1994, CAS had evolved into an independent entity, solidifying its role beyond the Olympic. 2. It is based in Lausanne, Switzerland and the official languages of CAS are French and English, reflecting its international scope and the global nature of the disputes it addresses. 3. Who can refer a case to CAS?- Athletes, Sports clubs and teams, Sports Federations, Organizers of sports events, Sponsor providing financial support to sports entities or events including Media and Broadcasting companies. 4. Landmark Decisions: 🏅 In 2000, the enforcement of anti-doping regulations. 🏅 CAS upheld the ban on Russia and allowed Russian athletes to compete as "neutral athletes" under the designation "ROC" (Russian Olympic Committee) at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. This decision balanced the enforcement of sanctions with the rights of individual athletes. Known for its efficiency in handling cases, CAS ensures that disputes are resolved promptly, India is keeping its fingers crossed for a fair and just resolution.

Happy to share my latest paper on the widespread practices of clientelism, nepotism, and corruption (as part of institutional memory and continuity) within the Montenegrin Olympic Committee representing a key barrier in reforming the sports ecosystem in Montenegro. The paper confirms that so so-called “specificity of sports autonomy” has been largely misused through bureaucratization of relations, as it rests on a clientelist structure, from setting up closed policy networks to discretionary power exercised especially for transferring public funds to private sports organizations. Consequently, this undermines democratization efforts towards EU integration. As for the global sports movement, it is timely for the IOC to rethink the self-assessment of NOCs governance. 🔗⤵️ https://lnkd.in/d9gVS6xi Molde University College cc Managing Sport and Leisure ENGSO Youth ENGSO International Olympic Committee – IOC European Olympic Committees - EOC Play the Game Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH UNESCO Chair on Governance & Social Responsibility in Sport European Platform for Sport Innovation (EPSI) Council of Europe World Anti-Doping Agency European Sport Congress #sport #sports #Olympics #IOC #corruption #clientelism #nepotism #governance #public #administration #reform #doping