Major sponsors of the Beijing Winter Olympics should explain why they remain largely silent on alleged human rights violations in China as the games open in just under three months, Human Rights Watch said on Friday. .
The human rights group said in a statement that it had contacted all but one of the companies that are part of the Olympic Partners Program of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
Human Rights Watch also contacted NBC, “the US-based media company whose broadcast rights represent about 40% of all CIO revenues,” the statement said.
The only company that responded to the organization is Allianz.
“We support the Olympic movement, and our long-standing support for its ideals will not falter,” replied the insurer.
The Beijing Games begin on February 4.
In its request, Human Rights Watch called on sponsors to be aware of the human rights situation in China and to examine supply chains and other operations to ensure they are “not contributing to human rights violations.” .
“There are only three months to go until the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, but the companies that sponsor them are silent on how they are wielding influence to tackle China’s appalling human rights record.” said Sophie Richardson, China director with the Asia division of Human Rights Watch.
Major sponsors, at the time the letter was sent, included: Airbnb, Alibaba, Allianz, Atos, Bridgestone, Coca-Cola, Intel, Omega, Panasonic, Procter & Gamble, Toyota and Visa.
In total, major sponsors donated approximately US $ 1 billion to the IOC during the 2013-2016 Olympic cycle, a figure that is expected to double when full amounts are released for the 2017-2020 cycle. This cycle has been delayed for a year due to the pandemic.
The American network NBC represented around 40% of the CIO’s revenues over the 2013-2016 cycle.
The advocacy group’s statement comes just three days after a global labor group released a scathing report that questioned the merits of holding the games in China over allegations of genocide and crimes against it. humanity that allegedly took place in Xinjiang, northwest China.
The report by the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) is titled “China: A Gold Medal for Repression”.
China has repeatedly denied that genocide is taking place, calling the allegation a “lie of the century.” She said the camps in northwest China are for education and not for the arbitrary internment of a million Uyghur Muslims and other religious and ethnic minorities.
For its part, the IOC affirms that its only objective concerns sport and that it is not mandated to act on the policies of a sovereign state. However, the IOC has an observer seat at the United Nations, unlike companies.
“We have a lot of respect for other organizations that have other goals,” Juan Antonio Samaranch, IOC member in charge of Beijing preparations, said earlier this week in response to the ITUC report. “But we believe our responsibility is what it is: to celebrate the Olympics as a celebration of humanity, as a whole, despite our differences. ”
Most of the IOC sponsors have adhered to the “United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights”. These state the obligation of states and businesses to respect, protect and fulfill human rights and fundamental freedoms.
However, the IOC did not include these guidelines in its host city contract for the Beijing Olympics, but added them to the contract for the Paris 2024 Olympics and future Games.
When the IOC awarded Beijing the 2008 Summer Olympics, it said the games would improve human rights in China.
“The failure of the Chinese authorities to meet the rights commitments they made to secure the 2008 Summer Olympics, and their growing repression since then, clearly demonstrate that this should not be expected. that the government respect human rights during the 2022 Winter Games, ”Human Rights Watch said.