The Center for Studies in Human Rights and Democracy (CEDHD) and the Geneva Center for Security Sector Governance (DCAF) presented, Thursday in Rabat, a study entitled “Security management of violence and hooliganism in stadiums in Morocco: a global approach”. This study aims to support the Moroccan experience in the security management of violence in stadiums, with a view to developing an approach based on best practices on an international scale. Indeed, the fight against hooliganism in stadiums and the guarantee of a safe sporting environment require a global strategy, based on good governance, with regard to the measures to be taken for the management of sports facilities. To do this, it is necessary to address the phenomenon of violence in stadiums and their surroundings using an approach not limited to repressive measures, but also including educational action, social awareness and the improvement of sports facilities, involving all stakeholders. The study proposes to strengthen the legislative framework, through the coordination, development, evaluation and revision of the legislative and regulatory framework relating to national provisions governing safety, security and services in sports competitions. It is also a question of consolidating Morocco’s conventional practice in the field of human rights, while adapting national legislation to international standards. It also calls for combating violence through education and information, by implementing the recommendation of the Economic, Social and Environmental Council relating to the opening of communication channels with supporters and to build a positive relationship between the public and the main players in the sporting field, considering supporters not only as spectators, but as an essential component of the sporting identity of clubs. Speaking on this occasion, the president of the CEDHD, Habib Belkouch, underlined that the objective of this study is to support the major sports projects in Morocco, in their different dimensions, noting that the Center focused on the aspect relating to the management of violence and hooliganism. Attention to the security dimension in the management of hooliganism in stadiums is one of the main axes for the success of the sporting events that Morocco is preparing to host between 2025 and 2030, he insisted, adding that the success of this project does not require a closed security approach, but rather an open and integrated security approach, involving all parties concerned by this issue. For her part, Cécile Lagoutte, head of Morocco programs at DCAF (Programme Manager Morocco), indicated that despite the spread of violence in stadiums, several solutions exist thanks to a multidimensional approach based on security governance and the updating of legislative texts and international conventions. She also emphasized the importance of an inclusive policy through dialogue and communication, emphasizing that this study represents a relevant tool in favor of public policies, aimed at strengthening achievements and proposing new mechanisms and approaches to better deal with this phenomenon.
