Rights groups praise IOC's revised Games contract

International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach casts a shadow during a news conference after an Executive Board meeting in Lausanne, Switzerland, December 8, 2016. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse/Files

BERLIN (Reuters) - A new contract for future Olympic Games hosts that makes the protection of human rights a core requirement earned praise from rights groups on Tuesday who say preparations of major sports events lead to rights violations.

The International Olympic Committee has now made a specific reference to the protection of human rights in its revised host city contract, sent out to the 2024 summer Olympic bid cities, after meeting human rights groups.