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The International Centre for Sport Security (ICSS) has further expanded its senior executive team with the appointment of Massimiliano Montanari as its new Director of International Co-operation and External Relations.

As part of the newly created position at the ICSS, Montanari will liaise with organisations such as the United Nations (UN), national governments, police forces, other national authorities and diplomatic missions for the purposes of developing research projects and gathering and sharing best practice in the field of sport security.

The ICSS regularly organises events to encourage the creation of sport security networks and to drive new thinking, including the forthcoming 2nd International Sport Security Conference on 14th and 15th March 2012. Montanari will play a key role in the development of these initiatives.

Montanari joins the ICSS following a distinguished career as a security and counter-terrorism official with the UN and Head of the related program on major events security. While at the organisation he coordinated security and training programmes for a number of major sporting events, including the 2011 Pan American Games, the International Cricket Council Cricket World Cup 2007 and the Beijing 2008 Olympic and Paralympic Games. On behalf of the organization, he has been responsible for establishing the cooperation with Brazil for the security preparations of the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil and Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games, and has set up the first regional cooperation platform for the security of major events in the Americas.

ICSS President Mohammed Hanzab explained "at the ICSS, we are committed to helping event organizers stage safer major sporting events. We are delighted that Montanari, with his wealth of experience in foreign affairs and international diplomacy, as well as sport security, has joined the ICSS to help us develop global networks, build knowledge and share best practice in this critical area."

The ICSS is an international, not-for-profit institution that aims to help event organisers to stage safer major sporting events. The Centre's mission is to enhance security and safety in the world of sport by proactively addressing real issues and providing best-in-class training, research and tailored consulting in all aspects of sport security.

The ICSS team brings together some of the world's leading sport security experts and has access to a worldwide network of specialist practitioners, offering expertise in every aspect of sport security.

The ICSS is based in Doha, Qatar, an emerging centre for global sporting events including the 2006 Asian Games, the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2011TM, the 2011 Pan Arab Games and the 2022 FIFA World CupTM.

The organisation recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Qatar 2022 Supreme Committee to collaborate on safety and security planning, capabilities and infrastructure for the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar.

In 2012, the ICSS commenced research collaboration with the Institute for Fan Culture (IfF) in Germany. The new academic institution is led by Prof. Dr. Harald Lange (Dept. of Sport Science at the Julius Maximilian University Wurzburg), in cooperation with the co-establisher Dr. Phil. Martin Thein.

The new venture is part of the ICSS's ongoing work to develop and share knowledge within the field of sport security and will actively involve fans from a variety of social groups, as well as leading sporting organisation's and security experts, to determine why fans exhibit extreme behaviour within a sporting environment.

The ICSS regularly organizes events to encourage the creation of sport security networks and to drive new thinking.

The 1st International Sport Security Conference took place in Doha, Qatar, in March last year with the 2nd International Sport Security Conference to take place on 14th and 15th March 2012.

For information about the conference go to www.internationalsportsecurityconference.com

19th November 2011 - QATAR 2022 WORLD CUP ORGANISERS SIGN SECURITY AGREEMENT

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