Olympic Games, Soccer World Cups, Pan-American Games and other major sporting events provide unique opportunities for the reorganization of urban space. But the millions and oft times billions invested do not always result in a fairer city with improved housing conditions. The Rapporteur’s next report to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva in March 2010 will focus on this issue.
Cities competing to receive major international meetings and sporting events often engage in significant public transportation improvements, environmental preservation and hotel expansion. Hence, the transformation of host cities can be quite significant.
Mega sporting events are golden opportunities to increase access to housing for the poorest populations, as well as access to health, leisure and living standards. The Rapporteur aims at awakening the population, worldwide leaders, sports federations and Olympic committees to the positive aspects of these opportunities, to create more democratic cities which fulfill the human rights of their inhabitants.
To read the report in the other UN official languages, click here (select a language at the right side column).
Click here to read the resolution on housing rights in the context of hosting a sports megaevents adopted by the Human Rights Council on March 2010.
To read the report, click below.