Morocco and INTERPOL collaborate on security at major sporting events
Morocco's Directorate General of National Security (DGSN) and the International Criminal Police Organisation (INTERPOL) organised a workshop in Marrakech entitled ‘Security at major sporting events’.
The Moroccan security body and INTERPOL addressed the important issue of security at major sporting events, which are often targeted by criminal gangs or terrorist groups for illegal activities or actions that threaten the personal integrity of participants and attendees.
The International Criminal Police Organisation is an intergovernmental organisation with 196 member countries that helps police in these countries to work together to make the world a safer place through the exchange of and access to information on crime and criminals. It also provides a range of technical and operational support.
INTERPOL connects all member countries through a communication system called I-24/7. Countries use this secure system to contact each other and the INTERPOL General Secretariat. It also allows them to access INTERPOL's databases and services in real time from both central and remote locations.
#الأمن_الرياضي
"أمن التظاهرات الرياضية الكبرى" هو موضوع الورشة الدولية التي تنظمها المديرية العامة للأمن الوطني بشراكة مع منظمة الأنتربول بمدينة مراكش خلال يومي 25 و26 شتنبر 2024.
بناء الكفاءات الشرطية في مجال الأمن الرياضي، وتأهيلها لمواكبة كأس أفريقيا 2025، وكأس العالم 2030… pic.twitter.com/oawMwLc9X4— DGSN MAROC (@DGSN_MAROC) September 25, 2024
INTERPOL also co-ordinates networks of police and experts in different categories of crime, who meet in working groups and at conferences to exchange experiences and ideas, such as the DGSN-led event in Marrakesh.
The challenge of the workshop organised in Marrakech was to develop police competencies in the field of sports security and to develop them in order to keep up with the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, which Morocco will host, and the 2030 football World Cup, which the North African country is also co-hosting with Spain and Portugal.
The Marrakech event is part of the Qatar-funded ‘Project Stadia’, of which Morocco is a member, which assists INTERPOL member countries in planning and implementing security arrangements for major sporting events to ensure that they are held as safely and securely as possible for all.
Major international sporting events such as the Olympic Games and the FIFA Football World Cup pose numerous security and policing challenges for the organizing countries and this type of co-ordination is necessary to ensure security. As well as being held in large, complex and dispersed venues, major sporting events can attract a range of criminal activity, from riots and violence to cyber-attacks and even terrorism, so preparations are needed to ensure the safety and security of attendees and athletes.
‘Morocco is a global model for security and management of major events,’ said Falah Abdullah Al-Dosari, director general of INTERPOL's Project Stadia, in Marrakech.
‘The Kingdom of Morocco's commitment to international co-operation, particularly in security and major event management, is a model for the whole world,’ Al-Dosari told reporters on the sidelines of a two-day workshop organised by INTERPOL through its Project Stadia in co-ordination with the Directorate General of National Security, as reported by Morocco's official news agency MAP.
In this context, he noted that the choice of Morocco to host the workshop reflects the Kingdom's continued willingness to host more international events in the future, reflecting the growing capacity of countries in the Middle East and North Africa to organise events of high impact and global relevance.
In this regard, Al-Dosari stressed the need to strengthen security cooperation in the region, not only to ensure the security of such events, but also to ensure their success.
For his part, INTERPOL's Director of Analysis and Operational Support, Cyril Gout, confirmed in Marrakech that Morocco is ‘a country with a strong dynamism’ in organising international sporting events and works closely with its INTERPOL partners to secure them.
This event once again demonstrates Morocco's commitment to national and international security. Indeed, the Moroccan kingdom is seen by most world powers as a reliable and well-resourced ally in maintaining security in hotspots such as North Africa and the Sahel thanks to well-led, well-trained and well-equipped security forces.
