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XI. Legacy Considerations
Security legacy has been defined as “a range of tangible and intangible security strategies, structures and impacts (positive and negative) created for and by a sport mega-event that continue to have significance beyond the life of the event itself”.112 Beyond this definition, slightly adapting a categorization suggested by Giulianotti and Klauser (2010) for types of security legacy associated with MSEs,113 this chapter will consider five kinds of security legacies associated with MSEs, namely:
112 Preuss, H. (2007b),‘The conceptualisation and measurement of mega sport event legacies’, Journal of Sport & Tourism, 12(3-4), pp. 207-228.
113 Cf. Giulianotti, R. and Klauser, F., “Security Governance and Sport Mega-events: Toward an Interdisciplinary Research Agenda”; see https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Security-Governance-and-Sport-Mega-events%3A-Toward-Giulianotti-Klauser/aeaeb821bfbda2a7914082b98679cb0e845a16bc. The following six categories are suggested by these authors: 1.Technologies; 2. Practices; 3. Governmental policies and new legislation; 4. Externally imposed social transformations; 5. Generalized changes in social and trans-societal relations; 6. Urban redevelopment.
1. Technology, infrastructure and practices
2. International and inter-agency cooperation and public-private partnerships
3. Governmental policies and new legislation
4. Social transformations and changes in trans-societal relations
5. Urban regeneration.
1 Technology, Infrastructure and Practices
MSEs can be a platform for the development of security technologies in major urban centres, for example, by installing new traffic and other surveillance systems. To this end, MSEs have been become recognized as a ‘laboratories’ for introducing new security systems, such as CCTV networks.
Similarly, an MSE can be an ideal platform to develop a city or country’s security infrastructure. This will be intrinsically linked to the selection of venues, adaptability of existing infrastructure and the political will of decision-makers for using certain parts of a city to deliver an MSE. As such, during the exploratory phase, an assessment of a city’s relevant infrastructure and venues will be an essential step, but always with an eye to the security implications of these decisions.
By contrast, in the absence of forward planning and vision, a city may have to build venues and a system from scratch, creating ad-hoc infrastructures that might not last beyond the life cycle of the event itself.
MSEs will inevitably become a platform for enhanced international dialogue, inter-agency cooperation and broader engagement with the private sector. All of these elements have an intrinsic security element to them, and it will be up to the entrepreneurial spirit of public officials and their local partners in the private sector to shape what will become the legacy of an MSE in the field of security.
Security networks established over the course of an MSE may continue to evolve strategic partnerships, knowledge exchange, and expertise, which can be applied to ongoing security issues. Similarly, this could lead to new forms of thinking in response to emerging threats and serve as points of consultation for future event hosts. Similarly, proven models and methods to exchange information between public and private-sector operators can generate best practices, which can be applied as lessons learned for the organization of future sporting events.
3 Governmental Policies and New Legislation
As explained in Chapter V on Legal and Institutional Frameworks, MSEs often serve as a platform for introducing new policies and legislation, while also providing an opportunity to adopt international standards on certain issues and to adhere to applicable international legal instruments. It could be an opportunity for introducing specific legislation to deal with community policing matters and security (as was the case on the occasion of the 2014 FIFA World Cup™ in Brazil) or to commit the Host country to international human rights standards. It could also lead to new community-related bills that were long overdue or in the making, as explored elsewhere in this Guide. It could also form a starting point for increased cross-border cooperation of national intelligence agencies.
From a legal standpoint, when it comes to security issues, organizing an MSE can be leveraged to:
• Generate good practices in terms of interagency and international cooperation;
• Consolidate legal and institutional frameworks in light of international standards, and a model police and judicial system in terms of protection of human rights;
• Enrich public-private cooperation practices;
• Share good practices at national and international levels; and
• Create a platform for better cooperation between government agencies and political parties.
In terms of adopting international norms and adhering to international human rights standards, every MSE is an opportunity to become a good practice model for integrating a human-rights-based approach into the design, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of security policies and actions as a means to:
• send a powerful message to the international community;
• increase the awareness of citizens to security issues;
• contribute to the overall resilience of the system;
• promote a positive image of sport, the Host Authority and event sponsors;
• contribute to the prevention of violent extremism by demonstrating a Government’s respect for citizens and their human rights; and
• produce legacy impacts that can improve and empower the people of participating nations.114
114 Based on European Commission et al., 2018
MSEs are transient, but their effects are often not. MSE security in any specific urban locality also leaves within the host environment a legacy of ideas and practices that can shape the future pursuit of security at the local level. That remains as well as a legacy of “soft event structures”, including legislation, and knowledge and practices which may shape the undertaking of safety and security measures at the local level for years to come.
The goodwill generated by including local communities in MSE planning constitutes a form of social capital which can last for a long time.
MSEs can offer an opportunity to empower underprivileged sectors of society and counteract threats like the violent radicalization of vulnerable youth. The jobs, job training, infrastructure improvements, financial investments, and profit-sharing programmes that are often generated as part of an MSE can improve the economic and social outlook of members of disadvantaged communities. More direct activities can also play a role: during the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™, FIFA organized a football competition where local youth could experience the atmosphere of a major sporting event in a safe and fun-filled environment of goodwill and fair play. Moreover, the event engaged the support of other NGOs to offer free HIV tests and other community services. These types of experiences can produce positive, long-lasting outcomes for young people, including for some of those who may be vulnerable to radicalization or criminal influences.
5 Urban Regeneration
The organization of an MSE can become the starting point to facilitate urban development or regeneration. Clearing slums, combined with the offering of alternative housing for those affected, can become a lasting legacy for the local community.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
Legacy Considerations
• Ensure that the strategies, infrastructure, policies and institutional arrangements specifically put in place for an MSE continue to have significant and produce positive systemic social and economic impacts beyond the event itself;
• During the planning stage, in particular, consider how the full range of securityrelated measures and arrangements can be designed and implemented in order to: Consolidate legal and institutional frameworks in light of international standards;
• Further develop a city or country’s infrastructure, including modernising facilities, venues, transport systems and related security components;
• Consolidate the relationship between governmental agencies and the private sector based on the initial partnership experience created by the MSE;
• Integrate a human-rights-based approach into the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of security policies;
• Improve the economic and social outlook of members of disadvantaged communities following, in particular, the employment opportunities generated by the MSE;
• Facilitate urban development or regeneration.
