A Global Response to a Cross-Border Problem

Sports security has become an increasing concern not only on a local and national, but also on an international level. Major international organizations, like the United Nations and the European Union, have established and developed global programs and initiatives to tackle threats to the security of sporting events.

The United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) has put forward a Global Program on Security of Major Sporting Events & Promotion of Sport & Its Values to Prevent Violent Extremisms in line with the Tokyo Summer Olympics and FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar.2

The European Union also pays a close attention to the fight against terrorism in sports events. The EU has adopted a strategy to counter terrorism with two out of four pillars being to “prevent and protect”, which is directly applicable to sports events.

According to the “Action Plan to support the protection of public spaces”, the “most recent terrorist attacks have shown a recurrent targeting of public spaces, exploiting the intrinsic vulnerabilities of these so-called “soft targets” that result from their open nature and public character”. The Action Plan emphasizes on the emergence of a growing number of ‘low tech’ attacks intending to cause mass casualties and greater public outreach. Protecting public spaces and venues poses particular challenges to the EU Member States. This is due to the broad variety of public places that have been or could be targeted, their different characteristics ranging from fully open spaces to areas with some form of protection, the variety of actors involved in the protection of such sites, the risk of mass casualties and, importantly, the imperative to strike a balance between improving security and preserving the open nature of public spaces, ensuring that citizens can continue their daily lives.

This is why, in 2017, the EU has undertaken an integrated and multi-agency approach to the security of major sporting events.3 The approach emphasizes on the need of implementing safety, security and service measures in a combination so as to preserve the open nature of public spaces all the while ensuring that the safety and security of both athletes and spectators are being guaranteed.

Even though it is up to the Member States to decide on how to implement such measures, the EU Action Plan and related documents provide important support, guidance and coordination to policy measures taken by national governments.

CHAPTER 1

THE MAIN RISKS AND THREATS RELATED TO THE ORGANIZATION AND CONDUCT OF SPORTING EVENTS.

It can be observed that sports incidents are of different natures and could be caused by different factors. We have already witnessed bloody terrorist attacks against sportsmen and the public, violence caused by hooligans, or casualties caused by construction failures or similar incidents. Keeping in mind the complexity of the security environment, it is impossible to guarantee that there will be no attacks or incidents related to sports events in the future. We may even anticipate that incidents will happen, emergencies will arise and attacks might become even more sophisticated. It is a matter of how one prepares, responds, and recovers to mitigate the consequences of emergencies at sports events. Sport managers need to be aware of risk assessment methodologies to detect threats, identify vulnerabilities, and reduce consequences. Information gathered through this process is extremely valuable for enhancing security measures.

Based on the information above, the factors that could cause security incidents at sports events can be grouped as follows:

1. Man-made incidents: terrorism, hooliganism, negligence of safety norms, etc;

2. Natural disasters (tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, earthquakes);

3. Political instability, wars, pandemics, etc;

4. Hybrid risks;

5. Cyber attacks;

6. Threats from new and disruptive technologies.

The above factors can manifest themselves alone or in different combinations, thus complicating both prevention measures and overall security management. Factors can also manifest to varying degrees. One problem that sports managers face is determining the potential threat level and taking appropriate measures.

The risk assessment process is a way to determine risk and threat levels, and identify potential vulnerabilities. These assessments provide vital information for the protection of critical assets against terrorist attacks and other threats. Sport venue managers are able to identify vulnerabilities and thus improve the infrastructure of the facility and strengthen physical protection systems.

Risk is inherent in almost all aspects of life and cannot be fully eliminated from the environment. Risk management is a systematic and analytical process to consider the likelihood that a threat will endanger an asset, individual, or function, and to identify actions to reduce the risk and mitigate the consequences of an attack or a hazardous event.