Human rights groups accused the IOC on Thursday of "failing to include explicit requirements on human rights in the host city contract for the 2024 Summer Olympics," according to the AP. The IOC, meanwhile, said that it was "surprised" by the criticism and insisted that the contract does "explicitly" include references to gay rights, workers' rights and freedom of the press during the Games. Amnesty Int'l issued a statement on behalf of the "Sport and Rights Alliance" that also includes Transparency Int'l Germany and the Int'l Trade Union Confederation. Amnesty Int'l Netherlands Dir Eduard Nazarski said that it was "astonishing" that the IOC omitted "explicit references to human rights in the contract." Nazarski said, "It is essential that the IOC wakes up to the human rights impact of its events, and lives up to the expectations created around Agenda 2020." The human rights groups noted that the new host city contract "prohibits discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation and includes language on media reporting" and int'l labor standards. The alliance said, "However, none of these changes go far enough." IOC spokesperson Mark Adams disputed the criticism. He said in a statement, "We were surprised by these comments since the changes to the host city contract were publicly welcomed by member groups of this alliance at the time." Adams said that the contract "explicitly references all three areas highlighted by the Sport and Rights Alliance: LGBT rights, workers' rights and free reporting in the context of the Olympic Games" (AP, 9/24).
