A/HRC/13/20 31. Examples of social mobilization and renegotiation in the organization of megaevents include (a) in preparation for the 1996 Olympic Games in Athens, the authorities planned to demolish a housing complex facing one of the most prominent Olympic routes, but, because of the strong resistance of the local residents and housing activists, the buildings were not demolished;41 (b) in the run-up to the 2007 Pan-American Games in Rio de Janeiro, the Comite Social do PAN intervened before local authorities to request the redirection of several plans for the event, including to prevent the eviction of the Vila do Autodromo; 42 (c) in 2002, responding to the official plans for the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver, the Impact of the Olympics on Community Coalition advocated for a referendum on the Games and made a number of recommendations to the Vancouver 2010 Bid Corporation, which eventually led to the commitment of the authorities to community benefits from the Games and the Inner-City Inclusive Commitment statement, promises incorporated into the bid documents for 2010.43 IV. International human rights framework applicable to megaevents A. Protection from forced evictions 32. Forced evictions are prima facie incompatible with the requirements of the International Covenant for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and can only be justified in the most exceptional circumstances, and in accordance with the relevant principles of international law.44 The obligation of States to refrain from forced evictions applies in all circumstances, including in the context of mega-events. States must at all times ensure that the law is enforced against its agents or third parties who carry out forced evictions45 and provide everyone with security of tenure and legal protection against forced evictions.46 The basic principles and guidelines on development-based evictions and displacement, drafted by the previous mandate holder, provide further guidance.47 33. Where evictions are justified, they must be carried out in strict compliance with the relevant provisions of international human rights law and in accordance with general principles of reasonableness and proportionality. Particularly, the following procedural protections should be applied: (a) an opportunity for genuine consultation with those affected; (b) adequate and reasonable notice to be given to all affected persons prior to the scheduled date of eviction; (c) information on the proposed evictions and, where applicable, on the alternative purpose for which the land or housing is to be used, to be made available in reasonable time to all those affected; (d) especially where groups of people are involved, Government officials or their representatives to be present during an eviction; (e) all 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 Stavrides, Stavros “Urban identities: beyond the regional and the global. The case of Athens”, in Jamal Al-Qawasmi, Abdesselem Mahmoud and Ali Djerbi (eds.) 2008, Regional Architecture and Identity in the Age of Globalization, Procedures of the Second International Conference of CSAAR, Tunis, 2005. See Lemos Marques, A; Barros de Moura, B., “Pan Rio 2007: manifestações e manifestantes”, XIII Encontro da Associação nacional de pós-graduação e pesquisa em planejamento urbano e regional, Brazil, May 2009. Elby David, “Still waiting at the altar: Vancouver 2010’s on-again, off-again, relationship with social sustainability”, Pivot Legal Society, June 2007. Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, general comment No. 4, para. 18. Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, general comment No. 7, para. 8. General comment No. 4, op. cit., para. 7. See E/CN.4/2006/41, appendix. 11