Organised by the Council of Europe's Enlarged Partial Agreement on Sport (EPAS)
Background
As the world of sport and its practice – as a recreational activity, at grassroots or at top competitive levels – continue to advance on our digital track, the importance of the right to data protection becomes even more acute and evident.
Vast amounts of personal data are being harnessed to enhance athlete performance, to optimise training strategies, to drive innovation, to engage fans and participants at major sport events and to control that rules of the game are being respected.
The often-sensitive nature of the data processed, the nature and the complexity of the global ecosystem in which sport stakeholders operate, involving private and public bodies, as well as law enforcement authorities, sport organisations, etc, make the safeguarding of personal data and the harmonisation of measures a pressing need.
The ever-increasing use and reliance on data comes with concerns over the potential infringements of the rights to privacy and data protection of athletes.
The Council of Europe was at the origin of the development and promotion of the right to data protection over forty years ago with the adoption of its Convention for the protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data (also known as Convention 108). The Forum will be a unique opportunity to bring together data protection experts of Convention 108 and experts of the world of sport, to exchange on topical challenges and ways forward, in better safeguarding the right to data protection in sport and maintaining the trust and integrity that underpin the world of sports.
Objectives
This forum aims to create a privileged exchange between specialists from different sectors, addressing emerging challenges to human rights in a sport context, enabling closer co-operation and exploring avenues for further actions to be taken.
The third edition of the Forum on Sport and Human Rights will focus specifically on issues pertaining to the rights to privacy and to data protection, as laid down in article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights and Convention 108.
It will revolve around four subject areas:
Performance analysis and predictive technologies
International exchanges of information
Personal data in anti-doping
Facial recognition and crowd control
Methodology
The forum will consist of a one-day event comprising four thematic sessions.
To enhance communication between all participants in the forum, active participation and interaction will be encouraged via questions and answers sessions and the interactive workshops.
Participants
EPAS Governing Board members
EPAS Consultative Committee members
Delegates from Sport Conventions Committees
Delegates from the Committee of Convention 108
Other Data Protection Specialists
Representatives from sport organisations not members of the Consultative Committee
Speakers
Within the context of the Forum, data protection authorities and specialists, governmental representatives, participants from the sport world, NGOs, academics, journalists, athletes and other experts will present the situation in their areas of competence, discuss recurrent challenges as well as share ideas and solutions for taking things forward.
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