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How can sport governing bodies emerge from crisis of confidence?
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Senior Research Fellow Christopher Gaffney comments on sport governing bodies and human rights, and the future for major sporting events.

It has been a sobering few years for the international governing bodies responsible for the delivery of mega sporting events.

From the withdrawal of numerous cities bidding to stage the Olympics because of the costs involved, to ongoing controversies over doping and the legacy of the Games. From human rights violations during and even before successive World Cups, and the shadow of corruption still hanging heavily over world football. The list goes on.

Yet in amidst the gloom, positive steps have been taken behind the scenes in recent months to improve the record of these governing bodies on human rights. From the human tragedy of 22,000 families being forcibly relocated during preparations for the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympics in Brazil, hope of real progress has emerged.

  • First it was announced that the International Olympic Committee had incorporated specific references to the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights into the Host City Contract for the 2024 Olympics
  • Then FIFA appointed an independent board to provide advice and support on human rights, as recommended by Harvard professor John Ruggie in his report published in April 2016

Of course, the world now watches and waits to see how these changes are implemented into real action. Russia and Qatar were awarded the 2018 and 2022 World Cup finals in 2010, one year before the UN’s Guiding Principles of Business and Human Rights were published, so the 2026 finals will present the first opportunity for human rights criteria to be a part of the bidding process “from day one”, says FIFA’s Head of Sustainability and Diversity, Federico Addiechi. Until then, FIFA say more stringent monitoring and reporting systems have been implemented.

Meanwhile there has been talk of the hosts for the 2024 and 2028 Olympics being announced simultaneously in September, with Los Angles and Paris vying for the 2024 Games. There, at least, there can be no prevarication around full and proper implementation of the UN’s Guiding Principles.

Yet for Christopher Gaffney, Senior Research Fellow in the Space and Organisation group at the University of Zurich’s Department of Geography, these moves in the right direction create a paradox.

At the same time as announcing more effective human rights measures, FIFA have confirmed 48 teams will compete in the World Cup from 2026, and it has been mooted that multiple countries could co-host the finals with the United States, Mexico and Canada discussing staging the 2026 finals. Spiralling costs have dogged Tokyo’s plans for the 2020 Olympics, and several bidding cities have withdrawn from the race for the 2024 Games, leading the IOC to re-evaluate the whole bidding process.

So how can the apparent good intentions keep pace with their aggressive business models which grow ever larger and increasingly dependent on commercial means?

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