A/HRC/27/58 fairness and to combat all forms of discrimination. It is also important to identify the obstacles to promoting human rights faced in that regard. 20. Sport and Olympic events encourage people from different backgrounds to promote certain games and can thus bring people closer together and make them familiar with each other. The spirit of mutual promotion of sports would eventually decrease prejudice, and as many people would join in this, disseminate such spirit further. This would create an environment that is conducive to the promotion of their rights. 21. The following categories of sports events may be distinguished: local, national, regional, continental, international and global as well as special targeted programmes. The categorization is functional and depends on the commitments and objectives of the organizers who decide upon the concrete requirements for each category. 22. As a result of the staging of multiple sports events in different regions of a country, the regions have benefited from the construction of sports venues, hotels, access roads, and especially from the development of the know-how, the tourism industry and the overall impact on the economy.15 Countries hosting events have to ensure equality among the participating countries, and participants have to treat all competitors equally.16 23. Global or mega sporting events like the Olympics or World Cups capture special national and international attention due to their advancing human rights role and wellknown wider economic, social and cultural agenda. Global dimension and increasing ratings of major competitions let us assume that modern sport becomes universal facilitator of general humanitarian ideas and approaches addressed to all mankind.17 From a human rights perspective, recent controversies about the balance between related opportunities and risks have renewed fundamental questions about the responsibilities of host governments, and international governing bodies sports that set the terms for staging this kind of events.18 A scholar discourse continues on failures to strike a fair balance between celebrating humanity and market manipulation.19 24. Major sporting events can be used as a catalyst to implement child protective strategies and to strengthen cooperation among various stakeholders to mitigate potential harm. In this respect, there is a need to involve and build partnerships with key stakeholders, such as IOC, host countries, and the business sector. It is necessary to include a human rights (including children’s rights) impact assessment in the bidding criteria of major sport organizers.20 In this regard, the “Children Win Project” of ECPAT and Terre des Hommes calls for a revision of bidding processes of major sport organizers, to include at all stages assessment, risk mitigation measures, and reinforcement of positive effects.21 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 Response of Colombia. Response of Qatar. Response of Russian Federation. Striving for Excellence: Mega-Sporting Events and Human Rights. Institute for Human Rights and Business, October 2013, London. J. Maguire. Olympic Legacies in the OIC’s “Celebrate Humanity” campaign: Ancient or Modern?; J.A.Mangan. Prologue: Guarantees of Global Goodwill: Post-Olympic Legacies – Too Many Limping White Elephants? In Olympic Legacies: Intended and Unintended. London. 2010. Response of Najat Maalla M’jid, Special Rapporteur on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography. Response of ECPAT and Terre Des Hommes. 7