A Human Rights Future for Canadian Sport

As Canada looks to the future of sport, we are at a pivotal moment—one that calls not for incremental change, but for a fundamental shift in how sport is understood, delivered, and governed.

In our submission to the Future of Sport Commission, we advocate for a clear and transformative step forward: the renewal and strengthening of Canadian Sport Policy and programs through the adoption of a human rights-based approach.

At its core, this means recognizing that access to sport, the experience within it, and the conditions that shape participation are based in human rights. Embedding this perspective within national policy would align sport with the principles set out in the Canadian Charter, while also bringing Canada in step with leading international practices.

Around the world, there are already strong examples of what this can look like in action. Norway’s Children’s Rights in Sport framework places the well-being and rights of young participants at the centre of decision-making. New Zealand’s Balance is Better initiative reframes youth sport around holistic development, prioritizing long-term health and enjoyment over early specialization and performance pressure. At a broader level, the European Sports Charter establishes sport as a space where dignity, fairness, and inclusion are foundational—not optional.

These approaches share a common thread: they treat sport not simply as a system tNorway’s Children’s Rights in Sport frameworko be optimized, but as a social institution with a responsibility to protect and uphold the rights of those within it.

Canada has the opportunity to do the same.

A rights-driven renewal of national sport policy would provide a clear foundation for a system that is safer, more inclusive, and more effective and one that reflects the diversity of experiences across the country and responds to long-standing inequities in access, treatment, and opportunity.

Read our full submission.