A/HRC/40/51 including the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and makes explicit reference to the Children’s Rights and Business Principles which, among other things, urges all businesses to provide protection against all forms of violence, including sexual abuse. 42. A fundamental principal of the code of ethics of IOC is the need to respect international conventions on protecting human rights; it rejects in particular all forms of harassment and abuse, including of a sexual nature. Furthermore, the code explicitly requires measures to be taken to prohibit the exploitation of young athletes. 13 An additional Framework for Safeguarding Athletes and Other Participants from Harassment and Abuse in Sport was adopted in the context of the IOC Youth Olympic Games. 43. IOC also considers international human rights instruments as a criterion in its selection process of hosts for the Olympic Games. With respect to sexual exploitation, IOC adopted in 2007 a consensus statement on sexual harassment and abuse in sports that formally recognized that “sexual harassment and abuse happen in all sports and at all levels”, with a higher prevalence in elite sports. This statement was further elaborated in 2016 with additional language regarding child and adolescent athletes. A vital point made was that, in cases of abuse, the concept of consent cannot apply to children and cannot be used as a defence by perpetrators.14 44. Several other sports federations have adopted codes of conduct that offer some form of protection to children. For example, numerous institutions have incorporated the same language as that contained in the IOC code of ethics, including the Fédération internationale de Volleyball and the World Squash Federation. 45. In 2018, the International Tennis Federation developed a code of ethics taking direct inspiration from the IOC code. The Federation had also adopted a player welfare programme in 2007 that included a welfare policy explicitly addressing sexual conduct, prohibiting any sexual abuse or conduct towards a player under the age of 17 or under the age of legal majority. 46. The International Ice Hockey Federation and the International Boxing Association both supplement their respective code of conduct and code of ethics with policies on sexual harassment. 47. Additionally, the Fédération internationale de natation has adopted a code of ethics that includes an ethical principle on dignity prohibiting all forms of harassment, be they physical, psychological, professional or sexual. The International Cricket Council has similar provisions in its code of ethics, as does the International Handball Federation in its ethics code. Moreover, the International Association of Athletics Federations includes in its code of ethics the prohibition of all forms of physical, verbal, mental or sexual harassment in athletics. 48. In response to a spike of nationality changes before major competitions (called “transfers of allegiance”), the International Association of Athletics Federations amended its Regulations on Eligibility to Represent a Member in National Representative Competitions in 2018. The amendments ensure that athletes have a genuine connection with the country or territory they represent and protect athletes’ welfare throughout the transfer of allegiance. A direct consequence of this tightening of rules is the protection of minors from various types of exploitation. 49. Furthermore, the World Players Association, which represents organized players from across professional sports, has adopted the Declaration on Safeguarding the Rights of Child Athletes. The Declaration is based on a child-rights approach and places the best interests of the child at the heart of any involvement of children in sports. It identifies five action areas, one of which focuses on the recruitment and training of any personnel working with children. 13 14 IOC, Ethics, 2018. M. Mountjoy and others, “International Olympic Committee consensus statement: harassment and abuse (non-accidental violence) in sport”, British Journal of Sports Medicine, vol. 50, No. 17 (September 2016). 7