Lucy Amis has been appointed as the children's rights and sports specialist at Unicef UK as part of a collaboration with the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF).
Amis, formerly a research fellow of mega-sporting events at the Institute for Human Rights and Business, is currently in The Bahamas supporting this year's edition of the Commonwealth Youth Games.
The role of her job is to integrate children and young people’s rights into the bidding processes and operational delivery of future Commonwealth Games and Youth Games.
The position is based with UNICEF, the United Nations (UN) children's humanitarian programme, and not the CGF.
Future Games include Gold Coast 2018 and Durban 2022, and the 2021 edition of the Youth Games in Northern Ireland.
"I am delighted to be joining Unicef UK as children's rights and sports specialist, and to be working directly with the CGF to integrate human and children’s rights into their governance and bidding processes, as well as helping to build the human rights capacity of all Commonwealth Games hosts," said Amis.
A plan will be drawn up to ensure human and children’s rights due diligence is integrated into all future Commonwealth Games and other big sporting events.
CGF chief executive David Grevemberg said: "Now more than ever, the Commonwealth sports movement believes in the critical importance of UN guiding principles on business and human rights for global sport and mega-sporting events.
"In line with Transformation 2022, we must continue to be explicit about the value we place on host communities and citizens and the positive impacts we seek to achieve in all that we do.
"This new role at Unicef UK, which the CGF has proudly advocated and supported, will be a vital partner, resource and critical friend to our members and host cities."
Unicef UK’s head of sport Guy Price said: "We are thrilled to welcome Lucy to Unicef UK in this new role.
"Working in partnership with the CGF we will support Organising Committees and Governments to integrate children’s rights into their plans.
"Many Committees are already breaking new ground in this area and we will take these lessons to support the Commonwealth sports movement in delivering its vision of using sport as a power for positive change across the Commonwealth."