The OECD Council adopted the Recommendation on Global Events and Local Development in 2018 to provide a comprehensive overview of how to promote more sustainable global events, implement more effective delivery mechanisms and leverage local benefits. It covers the whole life-cycle of events, including the pre-bidding, bidding, operational and delivery, and evaluation phases.
Leveraging the Olympic and Paralympic Games for local development
Global events, such as the Olympic and Paralympic Games, can be a catalyst for development at both local and national levels. They can stimulate external investment, boost tourism, grow trade, create jobs, and bring communities together. They can also be used as a catalyst for wider policy objectives, including sustainable development and tackling disadvantage as well as delivering lasting infrastructure. To fully harness these benefits, however, events must be carefully planned to maximise long-term positive impacts on people, places and the planet
Key messages
The Olympic and Paralympic Games can create long-standing social and economic legacies. They can also change the built environment of cities. As a general trend, we see a shift from large infrastructure based legacies of the Games, towards a greater focus on social legacies and more awareness of the environmental impacts of all aspects of the event.
All events will have both positive and negative impacts on different groups. The OECD works with event hosts to help them maximise the benefits for local communities
Global events such as the Olympic and Paralympic Games can have a significant impact on local development. Yet measuring this impact in a consistent, reliable, and comprehensive way can be challenging.
Developed through an extensive two-year consultation with over 175 event hosts, governments, experts and international organisations, the OECD Centre for Entrepreneurship, SMEs, Regions and Cities has produced two standard-setting Guides to support effective impact measurement for global events. The Guides provide events hosts with guidance on impact assessments and a set of indicators to help them evaluate the economic, social and environmental impact of their event.
From 2030 onwards, all Olympic and Paralympic Games hosts will be contractually obliged to follow the OECD impact indicators and Guides in designing their impact and legacy strategy. Paris 2024 has already incorporated the guidance into their evaluation approach.
Context
By sharing insights, best practices and success stories, this campaign seeks to inspire and guide future host cities and relevant stakeholders in maximising the benefits of such global events.
