Brazil Seeks UN Assistance in World Cup Preparations

Last Updated: 22, March 2013

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Brazil has signed a $17 million deal with the United Nations, one of the clearest signs yet that the hosts of the 2014 World Cup are running behind on the construction of stadiums and other key infrastructure for the upcoming sporting event.

The Brasilia government signed this week a 35 million reais ($17.61 million) agreement with two UN agencies under which they will procure services and items such as tents, generators and security cameras for the stadium, a UN official told Reuters on Wednesday.

Brasilia is due to host the opening match of the two-week Confederations Cup on June 15, widely considered a dress rehearsal for the World Cup, which will take place a year later.

But its new 70,000-capacity stadium, the second-largest World Cup venue, is still far from ready: Its roof has not been installed, fittings must still be added and the grass has yet to be placed on the pitch.

Claudio Monteiro, the head of World Cup preparations in Brasilia, said the UN was sought for its expertise in hosting big events and its advantage of acquiring goods and services without going through the complex and lengthy procurement process required by the Brazilian government.

“With the short time frame and the need to focus on finishing the stadium, the federal district government was not able to do the procurement on time with public bidding,” said Arnaud Peral, the UN Development Program’s deputy representative in Brazil.

Brazil has tapped the organisational experience of UN agencies before, for last year’s Rio+20 world climate change conference where the UNDP helped to ensure transparency in the procurement process, as well as accessibility for people with disabilities, environmental sustainability and social inclusion.

Getting the event off without hitches and on time is such a priority for President Dilma Rousseff’s government that “political pressure” was brought to bear on local authorities in Brasilia to get it right with outside help if necessary, an official source involved in the negotiations said.

FIFA, the sport’s governing body, has already extended its December 2012 completion deadline to mid-April, and has repeatedly warned Brazil that it cannot afford any further delays in getting the venues ready.

In recent years, FIFA officials have criticised Brazil’s slow preparations with General Secretary Jerome Valcke at one point saying Brazil needed “a kick up the backside.”

[quote] Of wider concern though is the upgrade of the country’s general infrastructure, including renovation of Brazil’s airports, building new public transport, and ensuring there are sufficient hotel rooms. [/quote]

Officials expect the World Cup to inject some 113 billion reais into the Brazilian economy, as well as give the country a major tourism boost.

Marcelo Pedroso, director of international markets at Embratur, the Brazilian tourist board, said it predicts that thanks to both the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympics in Rio the number of overseas tourists visiting Brazil will rise from 5.4 million per year in 2011 to 10 million by 2020.

“One of the strongest legacies we will receive will be in tourism,” he said. “The two events are a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to promote the country.”

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