Leaders of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe have called for the Winter Olympic Games in Cortina, Italy to be a force for peace and human dignity, and separately for the Russian national football team not to be allowed to rejoin international competitions until there is peace with Ukraine. 

Sporting organisations cannot be neutral on human rights  

Sport is a “unifying force”, stated the President of the Parliamentary Assembly, Petra Bayr, alongside the Chairperson of its Committee on Culture, Science, Education and Media, Mogens Jensen (Denmark, SOC) in their statement on the Olympics – the opening ceremony for which took place on 6 February. However, they argued for the primacy of human rights in and through sport: “Neutrality must never become a pretext for silence when human rights are violated” 

They underlined that the Olympic Charter “is not superior to international conventions and treaties”, and that sporting autonomy cannot shield organisations from accountability: “As athletes take centre stage in Cortina, they must be able to compete in dignity and safety, and their achievements must never be instrumentalised for political propaganda,” they said. 

President Bayr and Mogens Jensen also repeated the Parliamentary Assembly’s call for stronger safeguards within the Olympic movement, including effective respect for the Olympic truce and protection of athletes’ freedom of expression. “Silence is not neutrality when injustice is at stake,” they warned, emphasising that speaking out for peace and human dignity should be recognised as fully consistent with Olympic values. 

At a time of heightened global tensions, Ms Bayr and Mr Jensen concluded by urging the International Olympic Committee and all actors involved to demonstrate leadership. “Human rights must take precedence over political convenience. Only then can the Olympic Games truly serve as a force for peace, solidarity and shared humanity.” 

Russia’s reinstatement to FIFA competitions would “damage international football’s credibility” 

A separate statement was also made by Mogens Jensen and Kim Valentin (Denmark, ALDE), Chairperson of the Parliamentary Alliance for good governance and integrity in sport, regarding the recent call by Gianni Infantino, President of FIFA (the body that controls international football) for Russia to be readmitted to international football. Russia has been suspended from competition since February 2022 because of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which is also a FIFA member. 

Mogens Jensen noted that “Nothing has changed in the situation that led to that decision. The war continues, with devastating consequences for Ukraine and its people ... Russia’s actions constitute a grave violation of international law and of the fundamental values underpinning sport.” 

Kim Valentin added, “As long as there is no just and lasting peace in Ukraine, Russia should remain excluded from international football. Any premature reinstatement would undermine the integrity of competitions and the credibility of international football governance.” 

The Council of Europe, including its Parliamentary Assembly, has been involved in supporting Ukraine across the board and in helping ensure accountability for Russia’s aggression on Ukraine’s territory.