Sports Minister Carla Qualtro said early next week she will announce an independent official mechanism to review systematic violations and human rights abuses in Canadian sports.

Qualtro made this comment in Switzerland at a United Nations forum amid ongoing calls within Canada from athletes, coaches, and members of parliament to launch a public inquiry into abuses in sports.

She said in a speech delivered at the Sporting Chance forum on Tuesday in Geneva that the process would be trauma-informed, human rights-based, and forward-looking.

Elite athletes in several sports have also accused the federal government of failing to act in response to abuses in sports.

Former sports minister Pascal Saint Onge committed to doing something to address athletes, whether it was a public inquiry or some kind of investigation before she was moved to another ministerial position this summer.

Also, in other scenarios when the government faced a crisis, it appointed people like retired Supreme Court judges to independently review the issue. For example, amid the military sexual misconduct crisis, the government appointed retired Supreme Court judge Louise Arbour to review the case and issue a report.

Earlier this year, Ottawa appointed former Governor General David Johnston as an independent special rapporteur on foreign interference to investigate China’s attempts to interfere in past elections, before he resigned amid controversy and a public inquiry was called.

Qualtro said the announcement would include what will happen next with Canada’s violation of the Safe Sports program and the Office of the Sports Integrity Commissioner.