A Thematic Analysis of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) State Party Reporting Mechanisms Related To Physical Education, Physical Activity and Sport

The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) is the most ratified human rights treaty. In this article, three intimately connected concepts will be explored in relation to the framework of the State Party reporting mechanism related to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child: physical education, physical activity and sport (PEPAS). A documentary analysis of three key document types from the Treaty Body reporting mechanisms was undertaken, including State Parties Reports (n = 104), List of Issues (n = 126) and Concerns/Observations and Recommendations (n = 797). There was a very low prevalence of the concepts of physical education, physical activity and, to a greater extent, sport, in these three reports. Seven themes emerged after the qualitative analysis: sport programmes, school-based sport, legislation and policies, key agents, interdisciplinary approach, enablers of sport and miscellaneous. Increased questioning of States with regards to their implementation of the right to sport, the issuance of PEPAs-based recommendations and guidance on how to achieve these rights from the Treaty Bodies would assist in solidifying understanding of sport as a human right and increase the impetus on States to act for PEPAs provision.