Anti-Corruption Criteria for Major Sports Events
The bidding for, awarding and delivering of major sport events has become a topic of concern. Recent events have been criticized for a range of problems including human rights violation, breaches of International Labor Organization rules, corruptionand environmental concerns,during the bidding and/or delivery stage.
In 2013 the UN Office of Drugs and Crime published A Strategy for Safeguarding against Corruption in Major Public Events, a comprehensive look at applying the UN Convention against Corruption to the delivery of major events, including sporting events. This guide provides solid framework for identifying corruption risks and raising the standard of the delivery of sporting events.
Key corruption concerns
- Bidding stage – Extensive lobbying takes place without clear rules or transparency; large amounts are spent at this bidding stage which increases the pressure to win the bid
- Voting – Opaque voting systems and unclear criteria minimize accountability; FIFA faced corruption allegations when it awarded the World Cup to Russia in 2018 and to Qatar in 2022.
- Delivery stage – Construction is particularly prone to corruption due to high spending and tight time pressure
Three ways to improve major events
- Systematic stakeholder involvement and independent observers
Systematic stakeholder involvement is required from the very beginning. Event “owners” (e.g. IOC) should engage with local, national and international civil society organizations, and be supported by independent observers. This must includeduring the formation of the bidding/awarding criteria and host contracting.
- Internal and external safeguards
-The event owner as well as the bidders and the hosts (Organising Committees) must have comprehensive compliance systems in place.
-Prior to voting, bidders should disclose the budget identifying the costofthe bidding stage, required sporting and non-sporting infrastructure andevent organization and identify who coversanydeficit and post-event maintenance costs (including business plans for infrastructure)
-The expected impact (economic, environmental, social) of the event should be publicly disclosed in the short and long term.
-UNODC A Strategy for Safeguarding against Corruption in Major Public Events should be applied for the delivery of the event, including the use of integrity pacts and other instruments to prevent corruption in construction.
-There should be systematic monitoring of the supply chain, including of sponsors to ensure adherence to compliance systems.
- Ensuring a Legacy
Besidesensuring minimum standards of internationally agreed fundamental principles (e.g. human rights) the awarding of any event should require:
-The settingof legacy goals with regards to improving the three pillars of sustainability – economic, environmental and social -- in the specific country
-that mechanisms are in place to ensure commitments are maintained.
Transparency International will publish a more detailed proposal on anti-corruption measures for major sport events later this year.