The Sport Conventions Division of the Council of Europe was invited to the First Major Event Safety and Security Conference which was held in Doha on 7-8 November. The conference was organised by Qatar in collaboration with Interpol and will contribute to policing and security arrangements for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

The Sport Conventions Division was represented by its Head, Sergey Khrychikov, who participated in an exchange of views with the participants about the Council of Europe Convention on an Integrated Safety, Security and Service Approach at Football Matches and Other Sports Events (CETS 218) and how it can assist in managing the evolving threat environment. Other topics of the conference included ‘mitigating security threats during major events’, ‘event critical infrastructure resilience’, ‘decision-making in response to critical incidents and threats’ and ‘technology in support of major event policing and security’. 

Further cooperation opportunities between the Council of Europe and Qatar in the areas of public safety and security in major sports events and anti-doping were also mentioned.

The conference was attended by 350 security experts from 65 countries and international organisations.