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- The guidelines cover athlete safety, anti‑discrimination, child protection, and harassment prevention.
- They are based on ILO fundamental principles and will go to the Governing Body for approval in November 2026.
- The guidelines are seen as a key to setting out how labour standards can help improve conditions and enhance growth in professional sports.
The International Labour Organization (ILO) has adopted its first set of global guidelines on the promotion of fundamental principles and rights at work and the prevention and elimination of violence and harassment for professional athletes. The guidelines were approved on 6 March following five days of tripartite discussions involving government, employer and worker experts from the sport sector.
The new guidelines aim to promote fundamental labour rights for professional athletes worldwide and mark a significant step in the ILO’s ongoing efforts to strengthen protections and promote decent work in the world of sport.
Drawing on the ILO’s five fundamental principles and rights at work, the guidelines cover:
- Freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining
- Elimination of all forms of forced or compulsory labour
- Effective abolition of child labour
- Elimination of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation
- Safe and healthy working environment
Nikola Gillhoff, Ambassador and Deputy Permanent Representative of Germany to the United Nations and Chairperson of the meeting, said the guidelines were an important step in recognising professional athletes as workers and in clarifying how fundamental principles and rights at work apply to a sector marked by wide differences between countries and types of sport.
Frank Hagemann, Director of the ILO’s Sectoral Policies Department (SECTOR), said the meeting had shown that effective tripartite dialogue can deliver practical tools, particularly in emerging sectors and complex labour situations.
He added: “The guidelines are an important contribution to setting out how labour standards can help improve conditions and enhance growth in professional sport.”
The guidelines were developed through discussions among experts from labour and sport ministries, employers in the sport sector, and trade unions representing athletes from various disciplines. They include practical measures on safeguarding child athletes, preventing human trafficking in recruitment, combating discrimination, and addressing occupational safety and health risks, including violence and harassment on and off the playing field.
The guidelines will be submitted to the ILO Governing Body in November 2026 for approval for dissemination.
The adoption of these guidelines seeks to recognise professional athletes as workers and provides clear guidance on protecting their rights, safety and wellbeing across the global sporting landscape.
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Lead image / ILO
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