Mitigating Negative Impacts on Host Cities

Topic:
Country: Germany
Delegate Name: Addison Wurfel

The Olympic games, though entertaining, have a devastating toll on the host country’s economy. Due to this fact, Germany has not hosted since the 1972 summer games. The facilities needed to host these games drain the economy, displace locals, and damage the environment. The funding for these facilities can cost millions to billions of dollars and only serve one use. Not only that, but they need a place to put these new additions, this causes displacement of thousands of local residents.
Germany believes that the games do bring some benefits to the host cities, increase in tourism revenue, job opportunities, and new transportation devices. However, these things do not make up for the economic toll that hosting the Olympics has taken on the country. Some countries spend over $10 billion on hosting the Olympic games and the IOC refuses to pay any taxes in the host country for the billions of dollars of revenues generated by the event.
Germany would like to see the consideration of how negatively the games affect the environment. This might include hosting the games in a more reasonable area with a reliable climate. Doing so could decrease the amount of money spent on new equipment and the amount of carbon emissions for making snow in warmer areas for the winter games. The committee should also consider reusing previous facilities to prevent the process of making new ones. This could limit the displacement of locals and cut the overall cost.

Topic: Mitigating Negative Impacts on Host Cities
Country: Norway
Delegate Name: Garrett Wurfel

Norway is simply unable to host the Olympics. Norway’s economy wouldn’t be able to pay the price of hosting the Olympics, due to the fact that countries spend a minimum of 1 billion dollars when hosting. Norway’s economy is simply too small for that. Housing is another problem, because cities are already so full of people that housing would be an even bigger problem, similar to the 2022 Olympics housing problems. Finally, hosting the Olympics can give a bad impression. In 2006, the people of Norway got a bad impression of the Italians because they hosted, along with their poor Olympic performance. If a country hosts the Olympics and bad events related to conditions and people occur, those events will stick out more. The more something like that sticks out, the worse the impression, the more negative view the hosts get. That is something that Norway just doesn’t want.
How has Norway solved these problems? Norway solves most of these problems by simply not hosting. Norway has held votes in the past on if they should host the Olympics, and every time the majority of the votes are no. Finally, people were just worried that Norway would spend more money on the Olympics than what the country actually needs, like building new hospitals, improving road conditions, etc. People also wanted the whole country involved, and not just Oslo. Meaning that more competitions would occur all over the country, instead of just in Oslo.
What would Norway do on the international side of things? Norway would like to see the ideas of other countries on this issue, Norway would also like to find ways to appeal to the locals of Norway, so more locals would like to have Norway host the Olympics. Finally, Norway would like to find a cheaper way of spending money on the Olympics so that the citizens of their country don’t have to worry about over spending on the Olympics.

Topic: Mitigating Negative Impacts on Host Cities
Country: Brazil
Delegate Name: Natalie Marietti

Topic: MITIGATING NEGATIVE IMPACTS ON HOST CITIES
Country: Brazil
Delegate Name: Natalie Marietti
Vicksburg High school

The Olympics are having a negative impact on the host cities. Many cities such as Rio de Janeiro are having financial issues from hosting the Olympics. The negative effects of the Olympics on Rio de Janeiro were an increase in public debt, violations of human rights, and an increase in violence. There needs to be better management for the host cities of the Olympics so other cities don’t have to experience such negative effects. There also needs to be more steps to ensure that a country is financially stable enough to host.

Brazil has hosted the Olympics only once during the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. During this time, Brazil was in the midst of an economic recession. Fifty days before the opening of the Olympics, the governor of Rio declared a state of financial emergency. Rio was on the brink of a collapse on public security, health, education, transportation, and environmental management. During the Olympics, violence was a big issue in Rio. Many civilians had to be relocated because of the Olympics and this caused problems with the Rio police. The communities most affected by this violence are those living in slums located around the main access routes to and from the international airport and competition arenas.

The 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro is an example of what should never happen again to a host city. To prevent this from happening again, we should make sure that there is better management in a host city and that they need to be financially stable enough to host. To prevent unrest, cities should make sure that their civilians are aware of what needs to be done in order to host the Olympics such as re-homing some civilians to prevent violence. To prevent a financial emergency, the Olympics should make sure that a city is financially stable enough to host so there are no emergencies. Simple steps like these can help prevent any more negative impacts in host cities.

Topic: Mitigating Negative Impacts on Host Cities
Country: Bolivia
Delegate Name: Quinn Suvedi

International Olympic Committee
Mitigating Negative Impacts on Host Cities
Bolivia
Quinn Suvedi
Forest Hills Northern High School

In the last decade, there has been a tremendous decrease in countries willing to host the Olympic games. When the Olympic games were first held in the summer of 776 B.C. in Olympia, Greece, there was only one event: a 600-foot-long race. The first Olympic games were held to honor Zeus, the king of the gods. For almost twelve centuries, the games were held in Olympia every four years. In 1896, a group of nations came together and decided to bring back the Olympic Games. It was a massive success. People came from around the world to watch and support their nation’s athletes compete. Today, there are more than four hundred events in which athletes compete. Athletes are given a chance to showcase their talent to the world and win international fame.

However, these competitions have recently been shown to have some negative impacts on their host cities, especially economically. The Olympic games have been shown to go 156% over budget. However, much of the time, these cities are not able to balance the costs. In addition, thousands, or even millions of residents can be displaced from their homes because of construction for the games. Significant amounts of environmental damage are given off to local environments, destroying habitats and wildlife.

The country of Bolivia has never hosted the Olympic games and has also never won an Olympic medal. Although, the country of Bolivia believes that this is a very pressing issue. No nation should be forced to face such great economic losses and environmental damage. The nation of Bolivia sees a few solutions to this problem. One solution would be to always host the Olympics in one designated location. This would decrease lots of the construction costs, which also take up lots of time and energy. In addition, fewer people would be displaced, and fewer environments would be harmed.

Bolivia looks forward to working with other nations of the IOC to come up with one or more solutions on how to protect cities hosting the Olympics from the many negative impacts that it may bring.

Topic: Mitigating Negative Impacts on Host Cities
Country: Finland
Delegate Name: Asher Neville

Host cities go through a lot to make sure that the olympic games run smoothly and comfortably for all of their guests. The economy of the host city takes a very hard hit though. Debts skyrocket as the price of housing increases dramatically, and citizens of the host cities struggle to live normally. Although a large amount of attention is brought to markets in these areas, the massive amount of people and demand for goods typically outweighs the possibility of economic growth.

Finland has hosted the olympics before, so the effects of hosting have been felt and they stand with the fact that hosting needs to be changed drastically. One idea that has been present with Finland along with many other figures in the IOC is host cities using already existing infrastructure instead of new areas that will only be used a few times and put the city into debts. This idea goes hand in hand with conserving the environment in host cities, as olympic seasons bring about lots of travel and people to one location. Also, changes to conditions in these host cities are necessary. With the influx of people, travel is much more difficult and people usually cannot find comfortable living in the city making the overall experience worse. Finland believes taking more responsibility is important for all host cities, taking ethics and safety into account above else, which could mean spreading the games across a broader area or making the time of the olympics generally shorter. Changes need to be made regardless, for the people and the environment, and Finland is very likely to support any venture for these changes.

Topic: Mitigating Negative Impacts on Host Cities
Country: France
Delegate Name: Paige Nichols

The 20th century has seen an exponential increase in costs associated with hosting the Olympic games. Initial bids submitted by cities to the International Olympic Committee can cost upwards of fifty million USD and are only expected to further inflate. Additionally, once a city is officially selected to host the games, further costs are incurred to update local infrastructure such as roads, airports, and hotels, as well as construct facilities specific to the games. These added costs can cost anywhere between five and fifty billion USD, and only add to the burden of host cities. Aside from these economic concerns, as the Olympics have expanded in size and scale, so has the associated environmental damage. Significant amounts of carbon are released due to the games from the sheer amount of associated travel and construction. Local environments have to be reshaped in order to accommodate large venues, often displacing hundreds of thousands of residents and destroying natural resources and habitats. The United Nations must take action to lessen both the economic and environmental burdens associated with hosting the Olympics.

As a soon-to-be six-time host of the Olympics, France has a vested interest in mitigating negative effects on both economies and environments. The Paris 2024 games are estimated to cost 4.4 billion EU, 3 billion of which will be sourced from French taxpayers, although this cost will likely overrun. This budgetary drift puts undue strain on the public, incurring unwanted expenses that they may not have been made aware of. In efforts to reduce costs, the 2024 Paris games will focus on reusing existing facilities to house 95% of the games. Certain facilities that must be constructed, such as the Olympic Village, are part of a sustainable development project that will convert the venues into affordable housing after the game’s duration. Collectively, France intends to ensure that the 2024 Paris games reduce carbon emissions by as much as 55%, thereby being the first games in alignment with the Paris agreement.

France would seek to lessen the aforementioned issues by reducing the cost of bidding, as well as encouraging hosts to reuse already existing facilities, both to decrease expenses as well as carbon emission byproducts. France would recommend that the IOC consider dispersing events across several cities, or scaling back the games so as to preserve local environments. France does not wish to deprive nations of the opportunity to host the Olympics, given the economic gains it can bring, but wants to ensure it doesn’t further existing carbon emission levels. France believes in the collaboration between member states to come to a solution benefiting all and expects to find allies in nations with similar environmental concerns such as Denmark, Sweden, Norway, and the United Kingdom.

Topic: Mitigating Negative Impacts on Host Cities
Country: Russian Federation
Delegate Name: Hugh Jordan

The Russian Federation is committed to the Olympic ideals of promoting peace, friendship, and understanding among peoples. However, we also recognize the significant negative impacts that hosting the Olympic Games can have on host cities. Therefore, we believe that it is imperative for the IOC to take steps to mitigate these impacts and ensure that the Games are a positive experience for both the host city and the Olympic movement as a whole.
One potential solution to mitigate the negative impacts on host cities is for the IOC to limit the applicant pool to cities with existing infrastructure sufficient for the Games. This could help prevent the need for costly and time-consuming construction projects that often result in budget overruns and the displacement of local residents. However, this approach could also limit the universality of the Games by excluding cities that may not have the same level of existing infrastructure.
Therefore, we suggest that the IOC consider a hybrid approach. The IOC could require that host cities have a certain level of existing infrastructure to ensure that they can adequately accommodate the Games, while also providing support and resources to help host cities upgrade their infrastructure where necessary. This could help ensure that the Games are accessible to a wide range of cities while also minimizing the negative impacts on host communities.
In addition, we believe that the IOC should include specific terms in contracts with host cities to help prevent some of the negative impacts that have been seen in the past. For example, contracts could include requirements for transparency and accountability in budgeting and construction, as well as provisions for the protection of local residents and the environment. The IOC could also consider implementing a review process to evaluate the performance of host cities and provide feedback for future hosts.
In conclusion, the Russian Federation is committed to working with the IOC and other stakeholders to find solutions that mitigate the negative impacts of hosting the Olympic Games on host cities. We believe that a hybrid approach that balances the need for existing infrastructure with support for upgrading where necessary, as well as specific terms in contracts, could help ensure that the Games are a positive experience for all involved.

Topic: Mitigating Negative Impacts on Host Cities
Country: Chile
Delegate Name: Adelyn Kim

International Olympic Committee
Mitigating Negative Impacts on Host Cities
Chile
Adelyn Kim
Forest Hills Northern High School

While Chile has never hosted the Olympics, Chile recognizes that there are negative impacts on host cities. Negative impacts associated with hosting the Olympics include debt, economic instability, and the inability to adapt to an influx of travelers. Chile believes that no country should experience damaging effects when hosting a celebration of athletic excellence.

Chile is excited to collaborate with other countries in hopes to improve lasting impacts on host cities. Improvements can begin with the IOC recognizing current subjects relating to host cities in order to amend them, mainly economic costs and losses. No city has ever profited from the international games, aside from Los Angeles in 1984. Additionally, Brazil, similar to Chile in location, experienced a loss of 2 billion dollars when hosting the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Summer Games.

Chile understands that while there disadvantages to hosting the games there are advantages including increasing tourism and international stature. However, no host city should be faced with economic losses or congestion in order to achieve some international gain, and hopes that the IOC recognizes the same. In the same sense, Chile anticipates working with the IOC to improve upon the current situation regarding the negative impacts on cities hosting the Olympics.

Topic: Mitigating Negative Impacts on Host Cities
Country: Canada
Delegate Name: Kaya Dragan

As previous hosts of the Olympics, Vancouver, Montreal and Calgary respectively, Canada understands the benefits of hosting, but also the negative impacts of hosting. Hosting the Winter or Summer Olympic games can bring massive revenue via tourism, new jobs created for the games, and can generally raise the pride of a country. Although with positives, there are some negatives with hosting. For example, when we, Canada, hosted in Vancouver, we saw an increase in greenhouse gas emissions by eight times the regular amount. We recognize that we are among the small number of nations that came out of hosting the Olympics at a positive financial gain recently but we would also like to remind the committee that when we, Canada hosted the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, we suffered a debt of 1.5 billion dollars, and was not paid off until 2006. Saying this, we understand both sides of the spectrum.

Canada poses the following question to the committee: “After the Olympic games in a country is completed, why does the IOC step away and not support the country with losses and negatives if they have any?” “Why must countries bid, then spend more to have the Olympics, then suffer with debt?”

Canada fully believes the IOC needs to look and opt for better options of bidding and for host countries to be supported with funds to host the Olympics without any repercussions. Canada also believes that the IOC, regardless of the bid amount, needs to background check countries in regards to human rights violations. Tourists from many different countries come to a certain country to watch the Olympics in person, and the possibility of harm to tourists is something that Canada would not like to consider. Canada is looking forward to the search for resolutions to the topic at hand.

Topic: Mitigating Negative Impacts on Host Cities
Country: Syrian Arab Republic
Delegate Name: Nandan Narayanan

Committee: General Assembly – UN International Olympic committee
Topic A: Mitigating Negative Impacts on Host Cities
Country: Syria
Delegate: Nandan Narayanan
Greenhills High School

Although the Olympics does provide a sense of excitement and patriotism for its nation and its host city, it does provide many problems for the country’s economy and infrastructure. An event as large as the Olympics needs a lot of space and requires a lot of planning. Many of the cities do not have that big space. Thus it leads to evictions, congestion, rising land-rent value as well as the rise in food prices. Although people with a stable source of income can see the Olympics as a grand event, people on the impoverished side face eviction as they use that land as parking spaces and Olympic stadiums. The nation’s economy also takes a hit. It is estimated that the 2021 Tokyo Olympics cost around 15.4 Billion dollars. That could have built 1,200 elementary schools. This shows how there is a change in where the flow of money is headed. While the money could be used to improve infrastructure and help build schools, the government is forced to divert that money into making stadiums and providing for the athletes.

Syria recently had a devastating earthquake that hurt our people very much. It requires us to divert our funds to rescue and rebuild our economy. However, the delegation of Syria is very interested and believes that mitigating the negative impacts on host cities is very important. As a solution, we could divert funds from the UN toward the host country of the Olympics. This way, it prevents the host country from diverting its own funds to build stadiums and parking spaces. However, the Syrian Government cannot help provide funds due to the recent earthquake. We believe that we need to focus our efforts on helping survivors and rebuilding our infrastructure.

Topic: Mitigating Negative Impacts on Host Cities
Country: Australia
Delegate Name: Aanya Dogra

International Olympic Committee
Mitigating Negative Impacts on Host Cities
The Commonwealth of Australia
Aanya Dogra, Forest Hills Northern High School
The Olympics can trace its roots back to the Peloponnese in Ancient Greece. While those games had an important legacy, corruption and bribery were key factors during this time. Similarly, the Olympic Games today have benefits and drawbacks. The Olympics is an event everyone watches worldwide. The 2004 Athens Olympics pulled in 3.9 billion viewers and the 2008 Beijing Olympics reached 4.7 Billion viewers. Although enjoyed by the general public, hosting the Olympic games can become quite harmful. Hosting can mean debt and financial strain due to the new infrastructure and buildings needed for the games that often are not used again. In particular, Montreal did not pay off its debt from the 1976 games until 2006 and Greece’s billions in Olympic debt assisted in bankrupting the country.
Australia has hosted two summer Olympic games, one in Melbourne of 1956 and the other in Sydney of 2000, and is planning to host one in 2032. Unlike other Olympic Games, the Sydney Olympics was a success for Australia. The total cost of the Olympic Games, according to NSW Treasurer Micheal Egan, was $6.5 billion. However, this money was made up for. Sydney utilized 47,00 volunteers who saved $140 million from the cost of the event. The money needed to host was split between the Federal Government, the private sector, and the NSW State government. Around $6.1 billion was made in tourist revenue on top of other income. Not only did Sydney evade debt, but it also prospered from this great opportunity. This has a lasting effect on Australia increasing economic activity by over .12% over a 12-year period. Australia recognizes the potential damage hosting the Olympics has for a country’s economy, however, if done effectively this can be a great help in boosting the economy. As Mr. Michael Payne, IOC Director of Marketing, stated, “Australia is the first Olympic host nation to take full advantage of the Games to vigorously pursue tourism for the benefit of the whole country. It’s something we’ve never seen take place to this level before, and it’s a model that we would like to see carried forward to future Olympic Games in Athens and beyond.”
The Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) has 14 objectives set to provide clarity of role and mission, approved by the IOC. One of which states the AOC has the “exclusive authority to select and designate the city or cities which may apply to organize Olympic Games in Australia” allowing for cities with a proper infrastructure to host the games. This does not discriminate against the games being universally accessible but ensures the Olympic games do not cause harm to Australia’s economy; Australia recommends of other countries take similar actions. To further mitigate the high cost and environmental impact on host countries, 84% of the games in the Brisbane 2032 Olympics will be held in already existing venues. The IOC wants to find host cities that already have an infrastructure in place, and Australia supports this idea. Australia would like to be an example for future games in order to guarantee the reduction of the negative impacts of hosting the Olympics. Australia takes note of all problems in this situation and looks forward to creating a solution in collaboration with other delegations.

Topic: Mitigating Negative Impacts on Host Cities
Country: United Arab Emirates
Delegate Name: Eva Gavin

International Olympic Committee (IOC)
Mitigating Negative Impacts on Host Cities
United Arab Emirates
Eva Gavin, Forest Hills Northern High School

It is important to recognize that hosting a significant event like the Olympics has both advantages and disadvantages. An important benefit is the flood of tourists and higher tax revenue for the host city. Yet, it also comes with a number of difficulties that demand caution to overcome. While hosting such events, infrastructure in the host city is a major consideration.
The rising population in the area frequently has an impact on the local environment, public transportation, and roads. The UAE government has put in place a comprehensive development plan that includes trash management, traffic control, and infrastructure upgrades to solve these issues. We think that by taking these steps, the conference will run smoothly while also enhancing local quality of life. Making sure that the city’s benefits from hosting such an event are received is crucial. The UAE government is dedicated to including regional companies and business owners in the event’s supply chain in order to accomplish this. Such actions, in our opinion, will strengthen the city’s economy and promote goodwill between the people and the host city.
Moreover, cultural sensitivity is a matter that needs to be taken into account. It is essential to make sure that the event respects regional culture and traditions. To uphold public decency and respect for the local culture, the UAE government has put tough rules into place. We think that these regulations will safeguard the local culture while preserving the inclusive nature of the Olympics. It is crucial to guarantee both visitors’ and inhabitants’ safety and security. The UAE government has a strong security system in place to ensure the protection and safety of every visitor. The administration has also taken the necessary precautions to guarantee that the meeting won’t endanger public safety.
The UAE government is committed to minimizing the detrimental effects on the host city. We are confident that hosting the Olympics will turn out to be a great experience for all parties involved thanks to a thorough development plan, community involvement, cultural awareness, and security precautions.

Works Cited
“UAE Government Announces Comprehensive Security Measures for New Year’s Eve.” Emirates News Agency, 30 Dec. 2020, wam.ae/en/details/1395302901051.
“Topic: Wellbeing of Olympic Athletes.” GLICA.org, GLICA, 1 Jan. 2023, https://glica.org/glica-conferences/simun-2023-conference/simun-2023-committees/wellbeing-of-olympic-athletes/.

Topic: Mitigating Negative Impacts on Host Cities
Country: Switzerland
Delegate Name: Marcos Calderon

Marcos Calderon
International Olympic Committee (IOC)
Mitigating Negative Impacts on Host Cities
Switzerland
Forest Hills Northern

Throughout the history of the Olympics, the prices host cities have to pay has only gotten higher and higher. As time goes on, many countries barely bid anymore to even host the games because of just how expensive the games have truly gotten. When citizens have a choice to vote if they want their city and country to host, many citizens will vote no because they don’t want to be left hopelessly bankrupt after the games have ended. That makes it hard for the IOC to get a country to host if there are low bids for the games.
The Olympic games started 776 B.C in Greece. In 1896, they re-started with other countries participating and that marked the beginning of other countries taking pride in hosting the games. From 1924 to 1992, the winter and summer olympics would happen the same year making two different countries host every four years. In the 1900s, the price wasn’t too harsh for the cities. They would leave the Olympics without being hopelessly bankrupt. The first time the financial cost was concerned was the 1976 Summer Olympics games in Montreal. Montreal left the Olympics with 1.5 billion dollars in debt that took them three decades to pay off.
That unfortunately was just the beginning. As a result of how much debt Montreal was given, the 1984 summer games only had one bid and that was Los Angeles. Los Angeles was able to do it because they already have many past stadiums that could be used. When countries get ready for the Olympics, the IOC gives them about 10 years to get ready. The IOC also only gives 800 million in international television money, 500 million of international sponsorship revenue making that a total of 1.3 billion to help defray the costs the country will have to pay. The country in the ten years they’re given will most likely have to build new stadiums, new hotels, roads, airports, train lines and more. They also need to make sure the safety measures are met so no attacks happen during the games.
Switzerland has only hosted two times for the Olympic games. Once in 1928 and the other in 1948. The way the Swiss government works, the citizens get to decide whether they want their city to bid to host the games. Their last real attempt to host the games were back in 2006 but they backed down after the bid was too much for the government. The other attempts failed quickly due to how many citizens did not want to bid their city for the games, knowing the aftermath of hosting.
To make cities want to host again, the IOC needs to refresh how the whole system to get a city to bid works. First things first, the IOC needs to create a better way to support the countries after the games have ended. The main issue countries wont bid anymore is because they don’t want to be hopelessly bankrupt for the next decade or more. The IOC could also make a handful of cities designated for the games and go in a circle between those cities every two years. The bidding process also needs to be refreshed. Many countries waste money with bidding because the IOC has a habit of giving the spot to the city who has the best plans. The curse is that the city often will overshoot the actual value it should’ve been for hosting.

Works cited
https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/economics-hosting-olympic-games
https://gjia.georgetown.edu/2021/04/19/why-cities-no-longer-clamor-to-host-the-olympic-games/

Topic: Mitigating Negative Impacts on Host Cities
Country: Gabon
Delegate Name: Macie Dow

International Olympic Committee (IOC)
Mitigating Negative Impacts on Host Cities
Gabon (Gabonese Republic)
Macie Dow, Forest Hills Northern High School

The effect of the Olympics concerning the economic disruption in developing countries and natural resources is obstructive and must be altered. The Olympics have been the cause of economic deficits in host countries for years, yielding negative effects on the population and environment. Commonly, the budgets put into place are often surpassed due to the obstacles that occur before the event takes place. Difficulties with infrastructure, lodging, and population hinder the construction of the necessary framework for the games and increase the total cost by a significant amount. Take for instance the 2008 Beijing Summer Games which exceeded $45 billion more than originally intended on the budget. Many countries are hesitant to volunteer to host the games primarily for the impact it has socially and economically. By impeding the lives of citizens to construct the infrastructure necessary, the country risks high homelessness and unemployment rates. Along with the fiscal deficit, the Olympics is now less of a presentation of unity, but rather an unappealing hindrance to a country’s development.
Past action by the UN has shown progress in the efforts to minimize these impediments. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by the General Assembly in resolution 70/1 of 25 September 2015, addresses the goals of the UN to create a more unified, developed, Olympics. The resolution speaks on peace and unity, as those are the International Olympics Committee’s leading principles (IOC) principles. Specifically, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), designed in the 2030 resolution, seek to establish social and economic growth throughout the globe. Unfortunately, these efforts appear to not include the host cities. While Gabon recognizes the importance of economic development throughout the world, they firmly believe that these measures are in vain if the host cities are negatively affected by the policies enacted.
The IOC holds the values of peace around the globe, and Gabon agrees with those ethics. Gabon acknowledges the need for equality and peace, but also the need for environmental protection. Gabon has been in support of environmental and economic protections through the introduction of the Emerging Gabon Strategic Plan (PSGE). Through the PSGE, Gabon is combating poverty and social inequalities, while promoting inclusive and diversified growth, and environmental stability. Through the SDGs goal, Gabon is actively contributing to the economic growth of its nation. With a total of 22.29% (approximately 5.3 million dollars) going to combating poverty and hunger, Gabon supports the well-being and economic growth of its nation regarding the Olympics and its effects.
While Gabon recognizes the goals of the UN to achieve unity and peace, Gabon also urges the revision of the IOC’s goals concerning SDGs and host countries. The SDGs prioritize the general public instead of specific host countries. The absence of a firm development program leaves host countries with unstable budgets and little to no support from other nations. Gabon is in favor of new development programs aimed to support host countries with the funds necessary to host the Olympics. Gabon requests the assistance of economically powerful countries to help take on responsibility for the games. Gabon also is in favor of the volunteer pool of countries being minimized to nations that are more fiscally able to organize the Olympics. Gabon believes that to maintain economic stability and preserve natural resources, volunteering countries should be limited to those who already have the infrastructure, and funds, readily available

Topic: Mitigating Negative Impacts on Host Cities
Country: Finland
Delegate Name: Brady Falardeau

When it comes to hosting the Olympic Games, cities and countries argue and decide which of them gets the honor 7 years in advance. Once decided, it is an extreme honor to be a host city; causing the cities and their countries to spend Millions and sometimes even Billions of dollars on renovating the cities to make them suitable for the Olympics. The investment is seen as a great thing for the host city, it brings major attention to the city and country; this causes an increase in tourism and economic prosperity before they even start the building process. The Olympics itself brings a tremendous number of tourists and money going into local businesses. Once the Olympics are gone tourism stays more popular than before and the world holds the city/county in higher regard.
Currently, the country of Finland is bidding for the city of Salla to host the 2032 Olympics; they are bidding so they can spread a message about climate change and the effects it has on Finland and Salla. This campaign is being supported by Fridays for Future, a youth-led environmental movement that was set up by Greta Thunberg. Finland sees this as a good way to get a worthy cause a significant amount of support and a free press. Finland also currently, still takes care of the infrastructure built for the 1952 Olympics in Helsinki; which shows their want to keep the negative effects to a minimum.
Finland has done a lot with and for the Olympics especially the presence of Finland’s athletes in every Olympics since 1908. Finland also hosted the 1952 Olympics in Helsinki and was scheduled to host the 1940 games, but they were canceled due to the breakout of WWII. Although Finland has more summer medals than winter, their athletes do best in the winter Olympics.

Topic: Mitigating Negative Impacts on Host Cities
Country: Republic of Korea
Delegate Name: Alex Mochel

International Olympic Committee
Mitigating Negative Impacts On Host Cities
Republic of Korea
Alex Mochel, Forest Hills Northern High School

The Olympics first began nearly 3000 years ago in Ancient Greece. Started by the Peloponnese and organized in Olympia, the games consisted of sports competitions that were held every four years. The first ideas for modern Olympics began as far back as 1821, but the first concrete revival of the games formally occurred in 1870 with the first return of the events. Restoration of the ancient Panathenaic stadium, designed for the Olympics three millennia earlier, was carried out. The stadium continued to host the games until 1900, when they moved abroad. Since 1900, 23 countries have hosted the Olympic games across multiple cities and continents. Each city has had a unique number of athletes and participants, but the trend has been relatively similar; smaller countries experience greater difficulty in hosting events of the same caliber as the larger ones. Specifically, ongoing debt from construction, unnecessary infrastructure, unfair displacement of citizens, significant price increases, and lack of respect for the host city all negatively impact host cities and countries. Since the modern Olympics began, only one host city has profited from the games.
The 2018 winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, cost the nation 14 billion dollars in set-up costs, the majority of the money going directly to construction efforts in hotels and game-related infrastructure. Since the games, Pyeongchang has made little of its money back and will continue struggling beneath its enormous weight for decades. The I-Want resort, built with 200 rooms to carry the massive influx of tourists, now sits with only 17 rooms occupied per week. As for the Olympic village and sports-related constructions on which the nation spent 9 billion, they will never be able to return any funds back to the city. Recent estimations have shown that it may take over 30 years to pay back the enormous debt. The millions of dollars supposedly invested by tourists in the host city’s economy have long since dried up. Much of the Olympic Village remains intact in Pyeongchang and appears as a ghost town to its residents. The thousands of jobs that were provided by the construction of these sites were given to already employed workers and attracted little to no new citizens.
With respect to this data and the unique situation, host cities struggle in, the specific situations Pyeongchang and the Republic of Korea face are different. The Republic of Korea is the only non-A-5 country to have hosted the Olympics in the last 13 years and, as such, has significantly fewer resources to rebuild and mitigate the negative effects it currently suffers from.
The Republic of Korea recognizes that as a state with its own experiences with the negative impacts of the Olympics, it has a strong role in the development of a solution for this pervasive issue. Korea believes that solving this issue will not only benefit our nation’s struggles but also mitigate potential future issues and allow for an economically safer precedent for the games. The Republic of Korea looks forward to working with these nations and all other interested parties to create a cohesive solution in order to tackle this pervasive issue.

Topic: Mitigating Negative Impacts on Host Cities
Country: China
Delegate Name: Claire Peters

Hosting the Olympics cost a lot of money. Host cities often need to build a lot of infrastructure to host the games and accommodate the athletes and spectators of the Olympic Games. The past five summer and winter Olympic Games have cost over ten billion dollars for the host city, and the money being made from hosting the Olympics does not balance out the costs of hosting them. Now, fewer countries want to host the Olympics due to the cost.
Not much has been done by the United Nations to help this issue, the only thing they have done so far to help the issues regarding the Olympics is to give the Summer Olympic Games of 2024 to Paris France, and the Summer Olympic Games of 2028 to Los Angeles to try to prevent the loss of applicants to host later Olympic Games.
Although giving the next two Olympic competitions to large cities may keep nations interested in hosting the Olympic Games it does not help with the serious financial issues countries face when hosting the Olympics. China believes that to prevent further financial strain on host cities of the Olympics the cities that should be allowed to apply to host the Olympics should already have the infrastructure to support hosting the games. China believes there should be a list of standards set by the United Nations determining whether or not a city can apply to be the host city for the Olympics. This way cities that already have the infrastructure to host the Olympic games can make a profit from it due to the cost being less high because they already have the infrastructure and equipment necessary to host the Olympics and cities that do not have the necessary accommodations to host the Olympics do not have to spend billions of dollars on building things to host the Olympics.

Topic: Mitigating Negative Impacts on Host Cities
Country: Finland
Delegate Name: Lauren Groulx

Several years prior to the start of each Olympic Games, the IOC selects a host from a list of bids submitted by cities around the world. In recent years, the negative impacts of hosting the Olympics has discouraged cities from submitting bids‒in the bidding to host the 2022 Winter Olympics, five potential host cities withdrew due to a lack of local support. Finland would like the IOC to acknowledge that the supposed “benefits” of hosting the Olympic Games, such as job creation, increased revenue for the tourism and hospitality industries, increased international trade, and infrastructure improvements, all come at a significant cost to the host city and its country.

Revenues generated by the Olympics do not cover the expenditures required to host the Games. Most revenue generated by the Games is kept by the IOC, and economists have found that hosting the Games does not have long-term positive effects on a country’s GDP. Additionally, the costs of building the new facilities (or improving existing facilities) required to host the games is substantial. The IOC requires host cities to provide 40 sporting venues, at least 40,000 hotel rooms, an Olympic village, a media center and media village, and transportation and parking facilities to make movement between these venues possible. These expensive, specialized facilities have limited post-Olympics use and impose costs on host cities for years to come. Cost estimates prior to the bidding process often fail to include the “investments” made by host cities into this infrastructure. Every Olympics since 1960 has run over its budget, with the average overspending being 172% in inflation-adjusted terms.

Finland would also like the IOC to recognize that any increase in tourism to host cities is neutralized by the decrease in normal tourists. These normal tourists report avoiding host cities due to Olympic congestion, high prices, and security issues. Another important issue related to host cities is the displacement of local residents. To accommodate the construction of facilities required to host the Games, residents of host cities may be forcibly moved. Before the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, 1.5 million Chinese citizens were forcibly relocated. A further negative impact on local residents is the spread of COVID-19. After the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, COVID-19 cases skyrocketed in Japan.

To mitigate the negative impacts of hosting the Olympics, Finland proposes that the IOC allow hosts more flexibility in using pre-existing sports facilities and impose a budget on the bidding process. We also believe that the bidding process should be audited by an outside entity to increase cost transparency for the residents of host cities. Finland is open to the possibility of limiting the host city applicant pool to those cities with sufficient existing infrastructure.

Topic: Mitigating Negative Impacts on Host Cities
Country: Guatemala
Delegate Name: Alexander Stillman

In 1896, a host of nations made the incredible decision to revive a forgotten tradition of the Ancient Greeks in Athens, Greece. The 1896 Olympics featured 250 male competitors from mainly fourteen nations, mostly European nations but also the United States, Chile, and Australia. The Olympic games were an outrageous success, bringing in many different spectators from around the world. The games have since been a staple of international friendly competition among nations, and have only been canceled in 1916 due to World War 1, and 1940 and 1944 due to World War 2. They were also delayed in 2020 due to the Covid-19 Pandemic. Additionally, these games eventually brought on the creation of the winter olympics, which first took place in 1924 in Chamonix, France. Although these games have proven to be spectacles of entertainment, they have also proven to be financial burdens on the host city. For a city to submit a bid to be considered for being a host city of the Olympics, the city has to spend millions of dollars in order to evaluate and prepare bids to the IOC. Even if a city is chosen, the costs only increase rampantly. Many cities are forced to make major investments in their infrastructure to allow for the huge influx of people to their city, especially in the form of transportation such as railroads and airports. Many cities have had to spend billions of dollars in these accommodations, including the Beijing Summer Olympic Games which exceeded $45 billion in costs. Some of these funds go towards buildings that can otherwise serve few purposes besides the sports it is being used for, such as the bobsled. Many of these endeavors have gone over budget, with an average of going 156% over budget. As a result, the amount of cities bidding to be host cities for the Olympics has declined substantially in recent years, going from eleven cities bidding in 2004 to only two cities for the 2024 olympics, those being Paris, France and Los Angeles, United States. Cities are further incentivized to withhold bids to be host cities as most Olympic games have not caused a major increase in economic activity, actually resulting in a total financial loss rather than a profit. Although it could be agreed upon to only host the Olympic Games in cities that already contain the infrastructure for them, this goes against the goals of the IOC to make the Olympic Games universally accessible. As the delegation of Guatemala, we are unable to host an olympic games due to financial constraints on the economy and political issues that currently are apparent in the nation. Due to this, we believe it is necessary not only to find sustainable terms for cities that are willing to bid as host cities for the Olympic Games, but also to make any resolution to this problem on equal terms for both cities wealthy enough to bid for host cities for the Olympic Games and nations that cannot afford to do so.

Works Cited
“Topic: Wellbeing of Olympic Athletes.” GLICA.org, GLICA, 1 Jan. 2023, https://glica.org/glica-conferences/simun-2023-conference/simun-2023-committees/wellbeing-of-olympic-athletes/.

Topic: Mitigating Negative Impacts on Host Cities
Country: Japan
Delegate Name: Allison Bennett

Cities wishing to host an Olympic Games must submit a bid of millions of dollars to the International Olympic Committee in order to be considered for hosting. Many cities are not fit for hosting the Olympic Games and must make significant investments into their infrastructure in order to accommodate the Olympic games. Most times host cities don’t even experience sufficient increases in economic activities to balance the costs of hosting the games. Recently, bids to host the Olympic Games are rapidly declining.
Japan has hosted the 1972 and 1998 winter games, as well as the 1964 and 2020 summer games. The 2020 Olympic games were held in Tokyo without spectators due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Even without spectators, hosting the Tokyo games had an effect on demand accompanying the replacement cycle for durable consumer goods. There was also a further demand for transportation, accommodation, food and security. Hosting the 2020 Tokyo games resulted in a partial economic boom, but without spectators Japan lost 1.4 trillion Yen in profits. There were also major environmental impacts of the 2020 Tokyo. The 2020 Tokyo games emitted 2.73 million tonnes of CO2, including 1.5 million tonnes of CO2 generated from the construction and renovation of venues and other infrastructure.
In 2011 the Japanese government took responsibility for the development of sports due to the enactment of the Basic Act on Sport. In this act it calls for the promotion of international exchanges and contribution through bids for and holding of international competitions such as the Olympic and Paralympic games. The policy goal pushes towards smooth execution of international competitions hosted in Japan, support for spreading information overseas, receiving of sport-related people from overseas and other efforts, as well as improving and enhancing the National Kasumigaoka Stadium and other facilities in Japan. This policy also establishes international networks through exchange of personnel in the sport world, reinforcing international collaboration in anti-doping activities, promoting the dispatching of instructors, granting sport equipment and other material exchanges in the sport world. Furthermore, economists have pointed out that the Olympic Games needs to be reformed to make them more affordable, highlighting that the bidding process encourages wasteful spending, favoring hosts who present more ambitious plans. IOC president Thomas Bach has promoted reforms known as the Olympic Agenda 2020. These reforms include reducing the cost of bidding, allowing more flexibility for host cities to use pre-existing sports facilities, encouraging bidders to develop a sustainability strategy and increasing outside auditing.

Topic: Mitigating Negative Impacts on Host Cities
Country: Argentina
Delegate Name: Abbie Wong

Abbie Wong
Argentina
IOC
Mitigating Negative Impacts on Host Cities
Saginaw Arts and Sciences Academy
More countries have turned away from hosting the Olympic games. Hosting the games is expensive and tedious, and more often than not the costs outweigh the benefits. The IOC has struggled with capable countries withdrawing their bid to host the games. The sheer quantity of athletes and events the country has to accommodate piles on to the costs.
Past Olympic events such as the 2008 Beijing Summer Games cost China over $45 billion, and the 2016 Rio Summer Games which cost the Brazilian government at least $13 billion. The revenue the host country makes back doesn’t break even with what they spent. For example, the 2016 Summer Games in Rio made $9 billion, but they spent $13 billion, and the IOC kept most of the revenue. So Brazil took a major economic loss. Increases in economic activity, if any, come from increased tourism during the event, which could be used to justify the cost of hosting the games.
The facilities needed to accommodate tens of thousands of athletes is also a reason why so many countries have turned away from hosting the Olympics. The specific sports facilities needed for niche sports such as high dive or curling have very limited use. After the games are over, the area is left with “unuseable” facilities. If host cities cannot repurpose these spaces then that only adds to the potential costs of hosting. Other non-sport related spaces such as hotels are also a necessity. Hotels house not only the athletes but tourists that flock to see the games. The country has to account for everything, even road repairs. The recent 2020 Tokyo Olympics was met with even more financial demands with the challenges the COVID-19 pandemic created. The additional expenses of safety measures totaled to about $3 billion, and with the travel restrictions no foreign tourists were allowed to attend.
It’s imperative that the IOC revises the process of hosting the Olympic Games if we want to continue this global event. First of all, the bidding process and costs make countries compete against each other. The winner not only has to show they can manage the games, but they have to be capable of providing everything the event needs. Next, buffers to help support the negative impacts on the host country should be implemented. Such buffers would, instead of constructing new stadiums and hotels, renovate and make use of existing facilities. Or the IOC could have a “trust fund” system to reimburse the host country to an extent.

Works Cited
Matheson, Victor, and Andrew Zimbalist. “Why Cities No Longer Clamor to Host the Olympic Games.” Georgetown Journal of International Affairs, 19 Apr. 2021, https://gjia.georgetown.edu/2021/04/19/why-cities-no-longer-clamor-to-host-the-olympic-games/.
Sunderlin. “Topic: Mitigating Negative Impacts on Host Cities.” GLICA.org, GLICA, 1 Jan. 2023, https://glica.org/glica-conferences/simun-2023-conference/simun-2023-committees/wellbeing-of-olympic-athletes/.

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