2018: First Olympism in Action forum
and the Athletes’ declaration
In October 2018, the first ever Olympism in Action Forum took place in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
This new event was another concrete example of the implementation of the reforms outlined in Olympic Agenda 2020. The Forum brought together Olympic Movement stakeholders and civil society at large to address challenging questions, open fresh dialogues and share innovative experiences and inspiring stories related to sport and society.
Taking place just before the third edition of the Summer Youth Olympic Games, the Olympism in Action Forum aimed to engage openly with the broader public and discuss how sport can create positive change around the world. The juxtaposition of the two events shone a spotlight on fresh thinking and new trends in sport.
Also in October 2018, the IOC adapted the Athletes’ Rights and Responsibilities Declaration (Athletes’ Declaration). This ground-breaking document was drawn up following an extensive process that canvassed the views and opinions of more than 4,200 elite athletes from 190 countries. The Athletes’ Declaration includes 12 rights and 10 responsibilities, exploring topics such as anti-doping, integrity, clean sport, career, communications, governance, discrimination, due process, and harassment and abuse. Inspired by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other internationally recognised human rights standards, it outlines a common set of aspirational rights and responsibilities for athletes in the Olympic Movement.