The 2008 Beijing Olympic Games provides an opportunity to better China’s human rights record through the authority of the International Olympic Committee as a nongovernmental organization and through China’s own self-interest in embracing the international spotlight of the Games. The Beijing Games is a chance to utilize the prestige of hosting the Games to transform a nation’s human rights record and to set a precedent for human rights worldwide. The use of the Games as a vehicle for human rights reform can effectuate political and social change.
