This year features a special guest, South African Caster Semenya, who was systematically discriminated against (even prohibited from competing) for being born a woman with male genes. She spoke with the former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mary Robinson, about her memories of meeting Nelson Mandela at the age of 18 and her long struggle for dignity and human rights: "It is crucial that leaders understand that when it comes to policy-making, it is not their role to decide who belongs in sports. It is up to the athletes to decide."

As reported by the Press Department of The Centre for Sport and Human Rights, the opening plenary session began with the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, focusing on promoting human rights in sports: "We need responsible sports, sporting events, and Mega Sporting Events that are inclusive, fair, and safe, where stakeholders participate appropriately, and where human rights risks are mapped and addressed according to international standards."

The Secretary-General of UEFA, Theodore Theodoridis, spoke about the emphasis of the European football governing body on human rights throughout the organization's work: "We have reiterated our commitment to being an active participant in the Advisory Council of the Center for Sport and Human Rights. We want to engage with civil society and continue to play a role in promoting universal human rights in the football community."

Former professional cricket player Azeem Rafiq expressed hopes of finding solutions to racism issues in sports: "We have to engage in conversations. We must work collectively and find innovative ways to create opportunities together."

FOD23 is exploring innovative strategies and new forms of collective action to advance respect for human rights in the world of sports. As a contribution to the Human Rights 75 initiative, FOD23 will make commitments that will help shape the next decades of responsible sports.

The Sports Opportunity Forum is organized by the Center for Sport and Human Rights, co-organized with the International Labour Organization, the United Nations Human Rights Office, the United Nations Office at Geneva, the Government of Switzerland, and is supported by the Open Society Foundations.

The Center for Sport and Human Rights is supporting the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights with the campaign 'The 75'. In the 75 days leading up to the International Human Rights Day, the CDDH, along with the United Nations Human Rights Office, is releasing 75 videos on social media featuring athletes discussing social issues and human rights or demonstrating their commitment to human rights through their foundations, NGOs, or support for UN causes, as reported by The Centre for Sport and Human Rights.

The sessions included various topics:

Beyond commitments: towards transformative leadership and cultural change in sports.

Truth, justice, reparations, and reconciliation: opportunities in sports to address racial inequality and the consequences of colonialism.

The transformative future of women's sports: embracing intersectionality and solidarity in policies and practices.

The Center for Sport and Human Rights:

Launched in June 2018, the CDDH works towards a sports world that fully respects human rights through knowledge sharing, capacity building, and strengthening accountability of all stakeholders in the sports ecosystem through collective action. The First Patron of the Center is Mary Robinson, former President of Ireland and former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights