Sport mega-events, the ‘non-West’ and the ethics of event hosting

Abstract

Events and sports events are perceived as having the potential to contribute to a number of benefits for the host country and its communities. The socio-political and economic environment of the host is an important consideration for both prospective hosts and event owners when allocating hosting rights. It is therefore, unsurprising that concerns have been raised over the relatively recent relocation of events to developing countries which, by their nature, frequently lack the economic, political and social stability of the traditional industrialized host. Developing nations are less affluent and arguably less prepared to deliver large scale sports events than developed nations. Therefore, this paper asks, ‘are governing bodies, when equipped with this knowledge, ethically obliged to withhold hosting rights from developing countries?’ The paper argues that denying sovereign States the right to make their own decisions would appear to compound the disadvantaged status of countries that mega-event hosting is perceived to address. The paper contends that event hosts – particularly those in the developing world – are potentially vulnerable to exploitation by the event owner.

Notes

1. Despite the established nature of these concerns, reports from the most recently held events in Brazil, the 2014 men’s FIFA Football World Cup and the 2016 Summer Olympic Games, suggest that an effective response to these concerns has yet to be established (cf. Marinho, Campagnani, and Cosentino 2014, 37–40).

2. The Sport and Rights Alliance is a coalition of leading NGOs, sports organizations and trade unions. It was founded in early 2015 to address the decision-makers of international sports mega-events to introduce measures to ensure these events are always organized in a way that respects human rights (including labour rights), the environment and anti-corruption requirements at all stages of the process (for more information, visit: http://www.sportandhumanrights.org/wordpress/index.php/2015/07/06/sport-and-rights-alliance/.

3. See http://www.fifa.com/about-fifa/news/y=2015/m=7/news=fifa-executive-committee-sets-presidential-election-for-26-february-20-2666448.html for more information.

4. Interviews with UK and international based sport reporters conducted by Dowse in 2010.

5. Outside of political organizations like the United Nations, the membership of international sports organisations is one of the few ways in which the status of statehood may be recognized.

6. In 2000 the FIFA Executive Committee voted for the men’s World Cup tournament to be rotated from continent to continent. As from 2018, the hosting of the event will cease to be rotated.