A/HRC/32/33
most effective for States to create independent complaints and monitoring mechanisms,
potentially using existing human rights institutions, that people can utilize in the event of an
alleged breach of their right to health in the sporting context. These could allow for redress
and remedy through alternative dispute resolution mechanisms, such as mediation and
arbitration. However, this should not preclude the referral of serious violations to national
courts, especially allegations of criminal activity, which must be treated as criminal activity
as in any other setting.
Fulfil
25.
States should take action to ensure that sufficient resources and infrastructure are
devoted to enabling people to access and participate in sport and physical activity, as part of
a broader strategy to encourage the adoption of healthy lifestyles. Three primary steps must
be taken by States in this regard. Firstly, States should immediately include the facilitation
and promotion of physical activity and healthy lifestyles in national planning, if this has not
already been done. Secondly, quality physical education programmes, including in school
and health-care settings, should be established (or updated) in accordance with human
rights standards. Finally, progressive implementation, expansion and/or improvement of
goods, facilities, services and information provision relevant to sport and healthy lifestyles
should be undertaken, subject to resource constraints.
26.
The incorporation of physical activity and healthy lifestyles into existing national
health plans, or the development of such a plan, should be a foremost priority of States
under the right to health, as a core obligation that is not subject to the principle of
progressive realization, alongside non-discrimination. The Global Strategy on Diet,
Physical Activity and Health encourages States to build on existing national strategies and
action plans concerning aspects of diet, nutrition and physical activity, and to create a
national coordinating mechanism that addresses diet and physical activity within a
comprehensive plan for preventing non-communicable diseases and promoting health.24
However, in many countries, there is alarmingly little planning: WHO has noted a paucity
of national physical activity guidelines in low- and middle-income countries, and has
confirmed that the public health significance of physical activity warrants the development
of such guidelines.25 Such guidelines must be developed in reference to prevailing evidence
and good practices in the region concerned.
27.
Multisectoral collaboration can be a successful means of achieving national physical
activity goals; for this, communication and cooperation between different parts of the
government is vital. Some States have achieved multisectoral collaboration through formal
cooperation agreements between relevant ministries; for example, Greece reports using a
“cooperation protocol” between the ministries concerned in order to implement common
physical activity interventions in schools, the workplace and public places. What is
appropriate will vary according to national circumstances, but some framework or
mechanism must be established in order to ensure that the collaboration occurs.
28.
The importance of multisectoral collaboration is reflected in the Helsinki Statement
on Health in All Policies, and in the 2011 Political Declaration of the High-level Meeting of
the General Assembly on the Prevention and Control of Non-communicable Diseases
wherein the General Assembly encouraged implementation of the Global Strategy on Diet,
Physical Activity and Health through the introduction of policies and actions aimed at
promoting healthy diets and increasing physical activity in the entire population, in all
aspects of daily living. The General Assembly also noted that implementation of the Global
24
25
8
WHO, Global Strategy on Diet, Physical Activity and Health.
WHO, Global Recommendations on Physical Activity for Health.
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