ABSTRACT
Chapter 4 examined the substantive legitimacy of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in regards to the conduct of the Olympic Games, and found shortcomings in regards to the Olympic Games living up to both minimal moral acceptability and institutional integrity. That chapter also argued that when deciding to select cities in emerging market economies as hosts of the Olympic Games, the IOC should know that the risk of human rights abuses is significant. This leads into questioning how the IOC selects the hosts of the Olympic Games, and inquiring into whether there are mechanisms within the host selection process that could be used to reduce the chances of the worst outcomes of the Games from occurring. In examining the IOC’s host selection process, this chapter will also assess the IOC’s procedural legitimacy. Introduced in Chapter 2, procedural legitimacy is broken down into two broad categories: decision-making processes and accountability mechanisms. The decision-making processes should be: (1) rational, (2) consistent, and (3) impartial. In regards to ensuring that decision-makers are accountable, decisions should include: (1) transparency, (2) public participation, and (3) review mechanisms. In addressing procedural legitimacy, but also inquiring into accountability, this chapter poses three research questions. First, what is the process used to select the hosts of the Olympic Games, and how has it changed post-Agenda 2020? Second, does the host selection process meet the standards of procedural legitimacy? Third, using the procedural standards set out by global administrative law, how might the host selection process be made more accountable to those who bid to host the Olympic Games, and to those who are likely to be affected by the Olympic Games? To answer these questions, this chapter contains four sections. Section 1 will outline the host selection process used by the IOC, using the selection of the 2016 Summer Olympic Games as an example, and will address reforms brought about by Agenda 2020. Section 2 will analyse the transparency of and public participation in the host selection process. Section 3
will examine potential mechanisms to improve the transparency of and public participation in the host selection process. Section 4 will draw some conclusions together.
