August 16, 2021

Questionnaire regarding measures against gender-based violence and harassment at the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics

On July 16, just prior to the opening of the Tokyo Olympics, it was reported that a female part-time staff member was sexually assaulted by a male part-time staff member in the National Stadium after the rehearsal for the closing ceremony. (The prosecution later dismissed the case.)[1] On August 6 during the Games, a case of a foreign athlete was referred to prosecutors for indecent assault of an employee of the hotel in Hokkaido, Japan where he was staying.[2] Harassment over the sexual orientation and gender identity of athletes has also occurred on social networking sites.[3]

Violence including sexual violence, harassment, and other human rights violations also occurred at past Olympic and Paralympic Games. In particular, at the 2016 Summer Games in Rio de Janeiro, a serious sexual violence case involving a prominent athlete was reported, and the IOC decided to take measures against harassment and violence, such as assigning international safeguarding officers in the athletes’ village, and education and awareness raising for athletes and leaders. In addition, for the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics, sexual violence resource/counseling centers were established in four locations for the first time, in cooperation with the host city.[4]

Against this backdrop and considering these responses, the JOC set up a reporting desk for athletes, leaders and states where talks have been held with the IOC on measures to prevent violence and harassment.[5] However, it is not clear what measures were taken to prevent violence and harassment against many people other than athletes and leaders who are involved in organizing the Games. The JOC and the Organizing Committee’s websites do not provide information on comprehensive countermeasures and guidelines in an easily accessible format, or information on where people can report breaches. In addition, there are no statements concerning, or concrete measures taken by the Organizing Committee in response to, instances of sexual violence or harassment that actually occurred.

The Olympic Games closed on August 8. But given that the Paralympic Games are coming up soon after and the fact that it often takes a long time to report breaches, particularly sexual violence, and that many temporary workers and volunteers have been mobilized, we believe clear guidelines and information should be provided now. In this regard, we would like to ask the following specific questions.

1. Has a comprehensive set of guidelines been prepared for the prevention of violence and harassment at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games? How and in what scopes are these guidelines disseminated to parties concerned?
2. How specifically has the reporting and consultation desk for athletes and coaches been made known? Are there any plans to publish the results of the desk’s operations in the future?
3. Has a sexual violence counseling center been set up at the Tokyo Games, similar to the one established at the 2018 PyeongChang Games? And if it hasn’t been, why?
4. What measures did the Organizing Committee or the JOC take as the host organization to respond to sexual violence and harassment that actually occurred? Has there been any discussion or other form of consideration over the issue in the Gender Equality Promotion Team established in the Organizing Committee?

5. The preventive measures so far taken by the IOC and JOC focus on the “safety and welfare of athletes,” but are there any comprehensive policies or measures to prevent human rights violation against people involved in organizing the Games, other than athletes and leaders, such as media personnel, temporary workers, and volunteers? If so, how have people affected been notified of these measures? Which organization will be responsible for responding to incidents where these people are victimized or perpetrate such violation?
6. The Organizing Committee will be dissolved after the Games. Who will take legal responsibility as the organizer in the event that human rights violations relating to the Tokyo Games are revealed in the future?

We request that you send your answers to the above questions in writing and by e-mail to the following address by September 5, 2021.

Submitting organizations

Asia-Japan Women’s Resource Center (NPO)/I Women’s Conference (iJoseikaigi)/DV Prevention Support Net Chiba/Active Museum: Women’s War and Peace Museum (WAM)/Women’s Society for Change with One Vote/WOMENSNET- HAKODATE/Matsumoto’s group for the cancellation of the Olympics/Rape Emergency Intervention Counseling Center Okinawa/Ecumenical for Queer Activism (ECQA)/NPO Women and Children’s Space Nico/Certified NPO Women and Children Support Center Women’s Net Kobe/Women’s Net Saya-Saya/Network for Anti-sexual Violence Legislation/Femi Zemi/Women’s Democratic Club femin/Queer the ordinary LGBT/Japan Accountability Caucus for the Beijing Conference/Regumi Studio Tokyo/NPO Yamaguchi Women’s Support Network/Oral History Project for Yamanashi Women/Stop the Tokyo Oly-Para: Women’s Protest Relay

21 in total

[1] Forced Sex Suspected at National Stadium; Part-timer Arrested by Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department (Asahi Shimbun, July 19, 2021)

[2] “Egyptian Olympian Referred to Prosecutors on Suspicion of Indecency at Hotel – Hokkaido Police” (Jiji Press, Aug. 6, 2021)

[3]  Tokyo Pride House, Urgent Statement on the Outing of the Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity of Athletes Participating in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games

[4] “In age of #metoo, Winter Olympics in South Korea opens centers to address sexual assault” (ABC news, February 12, 2018)

[5] Reporting and Consultation Service for Athletes and Coaches Opened (JOC, March 19, 2013); IOC and JOC Hold Talks to Eradicate Harassment and Violence in Sports (JOC, August 6, 2020)

Asia-Japan Women’s Resource Center

September 5, 2021

Answers to your questionnaire

Please find below our answers to your Questionnaire Regarding Measures Against Gender-based Violence and Harassment at the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics dated August 16, 2021.

1. The Tokyo 2020 Games have prepared and published the Sustainability Operational Plans which stipulate prevention and reduction of negative impacts on human rights in order to realize the Games free from all forms of discrimination. The contents of the plans are widely disseminated through explanations and training to the staff, volunteers, contractors, and other people involved in the Games.
   We have also formulated and circulated among our staff the Guidelines for Human Rights at Venues, which describe practical measures to respond to human rights issues including violence and harassment during the Games.
2. This question is beyond our jurisdiction. Please contact the JOC.
3. Although the Tokyo 2020 Games have not placed a counseling center specific to sexual violence as you mention, there is a public reporting desk for staff, business partners, and other related parties to report violations of laws and regulations including sexual violence, a consultation service for staff regarding harassment and others, and a reporting desk specific to the Sustainability Procurement Codes that define the compliance requirements for contractors including prohibition of discrimination and harassment. In addition, the staff in charge at each venue respond appropriately to consultations by volunteers.
4. We have taken strict measures such as revoking the berth of athletes and requesting businesses to strictly act against such misconduct.
   From the viewpoint of preventing sexual harassment of athletes and others, the Committee has clearly stated the prohibition of filming for the purpose of sexual harassment of athletes and others to visitors at the venue.
   In addition, the Gender Equality Promotion Team has advanced its efforts, such as like reviewing Diversity and Harmony, one of the visions of the Games, holding dialogues with various people regarding gender equality, diversity and harmony, and promoting the Tokyo 2020 D&I Action, which is the declaration of actions for taking a solid step toward a society with diversity and inclusion.
5. The Tokyo 2020 Games have prepared and published the Sustainability Operational  Plans which stipulate prevention and reduction of negative impacts on human rights in order to realize the Games free from all forms of discrimination. For volunteers, we promote understanding of diversity and inclusion through face-to-face training and e-learning, and encourage them to respect each other in their activities.
   For contractors, we have formulated the Sustainability Procurement Codes, which prohibit discrimination and harassment, and we call for compliance with the Codes in individual procurement contracts.
   In addition, the press have been notified of the Portrayal Guidelines for Gender Balanced Representation prepared by the IOC which calls for fair and gender-conscious reporting.
   In the event that anyone involved in the Games should be a perpetrator or a victim, the department to which the person belonged would respond appropriately, depending on the case.
6. After the dissolution, the liquidation corporation will take over the rights and obligations.

Tokyo Organizing Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games

Asia-Japan Women’s Resource Center

September 6, 2021

Answers to your questionnaire

Please find below our answers to your Questionnaire Regarding Measures Against Gender-based Violence and Harassment at the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics dated August 16, 2021.

1. For the issues concerning the operation of the 2020 Tokyo Games, please contact the Tokyo Organizing Committee of the Games.
2. The reporting and consultation desk for athletes and coaches operated in the Games is notified on the front page of the Games’ official website as well as through various meetings involving athletes and coaches, or the member organizations. The details and results of consultation are not disclosed to protect the rights of consulters. https://www.joc.or.jp/
   https://www.joc.or.jp/news/detail.html?id=2491
3. For the issues concerning the operation of the 2020 Tokyo Games, please contact the Tokyo Organizing Committee of the Games.
4. For the issues concerning the operation of the 2020 Tokyo Games, please contact the Tokyo Organizing Committee of the Games.
5. For the issues concerning the operation of the 2020 Tokyo Games, please contact the Tokyo Organizing Committee of the Games.
6. For the issues concerning the operation of the 2020 Tokyo Games, please contact the Tokyo Organizing Committee of the Games.

Japanese Olympic Committee

Mr. Toshiro Muto, Chief Executive
Tokyo Organizing Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games
For the Gender Equality Promotion Team
Mr. Yasuhiro Yamashita, President
Japanese Olympic Committee

September 24, 2021

Additional questions and requests regarding measures against gender-based violence and harassment at the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics

We would like to express our gratitude to the Organizing Committee and the JOC for sending us answers dated September 5 and September 6, respectively, to our Questionnaire Regarding Measures Against Gender-based Violence and Harassment at the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics dated August 16, 2021.

However, there are still many points in the answers that are difficult to understand or to accept.

Obviously, the principles advocated by the Tokyo Games, such as “sustainability,” the “Games free from all forms of discrimination,” and “gender equality, diversity and harmony,” as well as the plans and guidelines based on these principles, become relevant only when they are put into concrete and effective practice in preventing and responding to discrimination and violence that actually occur. It is essential therefore, to objectively verify how far such public commitment has been put into practice through an open process, while giving due consideration to the privacy of those involved. For this purpose, we confidently expect the Committee will keep committed to “continuing an open dialog and communication with a diverse range of people” as expressly stated in the Tokyo 2020 D&I Action.

In this regard, we would like to reiterate our request that the Committee provide us with an opportunity to directly ask questions and exchange opinions with the officers in charge of the department responsible for the issues in the following additional questions, regarding your response letter dated September 5 by the end of October. Please send your responses to the following address.

Additional Questions

Regarding Answer 1

• The Sustainability Operational Plans state “a system will be established in the section in charge of human rights and labor issues within the Organizing Committee for problems in order to appropriately grasp the problem that may occur”. Let us know which section has established such a system and described how it has been established. How do you plan to conduct assessments of how the system operated?

• We could not find the Guidelines for Human Rights at Venues. Are they non-publishable? If documents themselves cannot be published, could you describe the contents?

Regarding Answer 2

• It should be possible to share the results and assessments socially while giving due consideration to the privacy of the consulters. If the Committee does not disclose the results, how does it plan to verify and make use of them?
• How are the roles to respond to violence and harassment allocated among the IOC, JOC and the Organizing Committee? Is the Organizing Committee aware of the number of cases reported by the IOC’s Safe Sport?

Regarding Answer 3

• How does the Organizing Committee understand the background to the establishment of a counseling center in the Pyeongchang Games? Why did the Committee think that reporting desks, rather than a counseling center, would be sufficient to handle issues this time?
• We would like to know how roles were divided between the reporting desk based on the Sustainability Procurement Codes and the the sexual violence consultation desk in the athlete village.

Regarding Answer 4

• The “Sustainability Management Plan” states that “the Organizing Committee will establish a system that allows the Committee, even if it is not itself involved in such human rights violations, to communicate to or notify such related organizations under its control and authority of the violations and work on the organizations appropriately” (p.68). We would like to know, on each of the following cases, how the Committee perceives its control and authority, and the specific actions it took. Has the Committee provided the victims of the cases, including those that were not prosecuted, with any kind of support outside the criminal route for recovery from the damage they suffered?
• Will the “Tokyo 2020 D&I Action” of the Gender Equality Promotion Team play any role in the prevention of and appropriate responses to human rights violations and discrimination?

Regarding Answer 5

• How does the Committee recognize, and intend to respond to, the fact that volunteers and temporary workers are in a position where it is difficult for them to report damages? How specifically did the staff in charge “respond appropriately” to the consultations by volunteers as claimed in Answer 3?  What about the non-regular staff?
• Did the Committee check to ensure that the non-regular workers dispatched by temporary worker companies were notified of the consultation desk information?

Regarding Answer 6

We would like to know which department of the Organizing Committee will be handling the cases and for how long, as well as the official name, responsible person, and contact information of the liquidation corporation.

Asia-Japan Women’s Resource Center

Asia-Japan Women’s Resource Center

November 4, 2021

Answers to your additional questions and requests dated September 24, 2021

Please find below our answers to your Additional Questions and Requests Regarding Measures against Gender-based Violence and Harassment at the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics.

Please note that our committee does not provide individual groups with meetings to exchange opinions or similar purposes.  Please also note that since we have answered your questions multiple times, including the last time, we will not be able to respond to you any further.

Additional questions regarding Answer 1

• Our committee considered the Routine operation/workplace, During the Games/competition venue, and Procurement/supply chains as important scenes where human rights risks related to the Games needed to be addressed.For the Routine operation/workplace, the Human Resources Department and General Affairs Department of the Committee took the lead in operating the governance system of the organization of the Games and established a consultation desk. In the Procurement/supply chain, the Sustainability Department of the Committee took the lead and promoted sustainability-conscious procurement initiatives (the Sustainability Procurement Codes, reporting desks). With regard to the During the Games/competition venues, the Sustainability Department operated a system to provide support while informing the appropriate measures to be taken at each venue based on the Guidelines for Human Rights at Venues and others. We intend to publish the actual operation status in the Sustainability Post-Games Report to be prepared in the future.

• We do not intend to publish the Guidelines for Human Rights at Venues which was prepared for internal use and contains details concerning the management of the Games including security-related information.

Additional questions regarding Answer 2

Please contact the JOC regarding its reporting and consultation desks.

• The IOC has taken steps to address harassment of athletes participating in the Games and its officials.  During the Games, Safeguarding Officers were stationed full-time at the Olympic Village General Infirmary, and the IOC Integrity and Compliance Hotline was also established to report harassment cases and others. The responses taken by our Committee and the JOC to harassment were as described in the answer to your previous questions. We are not aware of the number of cases reported to the IOC.

Additional questions regarding Answer 3

• We are not aware of the background to the establishment of a counseling center in the Pyeongchang Games. For the Tokyo 2020 Games, as I answered to your previous questions, various consultation desks were installed to respond to the issue.
• The reporting desk concerning the Procurement Codes was to receive information on discrimination and harassment committed by the contractors contracted with our committee. We already answered in the Additional questions regarding Answer 2 above about the consultation desk in the athlete village.

Additional questions regarding Answer 4

• The perpetrators of both cases were under the control and authority of the relevant National Olympic Committee (NOC) or an operator company (the operator company in question did not have a contractual relationship with our committee). Under such circumstances, our committee nonetheless responded sincerely to cooperation and requests from the police authority as well as approached the two relevant organizations to urge them to respond appropriately with the investigations, and as a result, we understand, proper procedures and measures were taken by the authority.
• The “Tokyo 2020 D&I Action” calls on individuals in society at large, in addition to those involved in the Games and sports organizations, to take action toward a society where everyone is free to live as who they are. Through these efforts, we hope the momentum in society will increase for the prevention of human rights violations and discrimination.

Additional questions regarding Answer 5

• For volunteers, we set up a consultation desk (by staff members in charge) at each activity site where they could consult with staff members about their problems, and we responded appropriately. In addition, a volunteer call center was set up, and consultations received at this center were escalated to the department in charge for appropriate response. Further, a volunteer call center was set up, and consultations received at this center were escalated to the department in charge and were appropriately handled.
• With regard to temporary workers, we established a consultation desk for staff members to consult their problems and a whistle-blowing desk, and notified staff of the desks through posting on the intranet for staff members, training sessions, and e-mails to staff members. We actually received consultations from temporary workers and the staff in charge of the desks responded appropriately. In addition, the temporary staffing companies also set up a consultation desk, and consultations received there were escalated to our committee as necessary, and the Committee and the temporary staffing companies worked together to respond appropriately.
• The reporting desk of the Sustainability Procurement Code have been posted on our committee’s website and were made known through posters put up in the dining room for staff at each venue for example. We received reports from people who actually saw the posters, and we responded appropriately.

Additional questions regarding Answer 6

• No decision has been made at present.

End

Tokyo Organizing Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games