Brazil seeking help from United Nations in World Cup preparations at stadium in Brasilia

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Paramedics and firefighters train during a simulated emergency situation that recreates the aftermath of a fight between soccer fans at a stadium, inside a gym in Brasilia, Brazil, Wednesday, March 20, 2013. The simulation was part of the city's preparations for emergency responders who will work during this year's Confederations Cup soccer tournament in June, and the World Cup soccer tournament in 2014. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)

SAO PAULO - Brasilia has signed a 34.5 million real ($17 million) deal with the United Nations to help the Brazilian capital city prepare to host the 2013 Confederations Cup and 2014 World Cup, organizers of the two events said Thursday.

The capital's organizing committee signed the deal with the U.N. Development Program earlier this week, Claudio Monteiro, the head of World Cup preparations in Brasilia, told The Associated Press.

The Mane Garrincha stadium will host the opening match of the Confederations Cup on June 15 and six World Cup matches next year.

He said the U.N. will provide temporary structures outside the stadium "where FIFA could receive its guests and where journalists could work."

The structures will also house electrical and communications installations and support services like medical installations, firefighting brigades and some security services.

The agreement also calls for the U.N. to provide lockers for players, coaches and referees, and to rent, install and operate metal detector equipment.

"These are all things that are physically outside the main event — the games — but which are fundamental for everything to take place smoothly and safely," Monteiro said.

Monteiro added that the deal struck with the UNDP "has nothing to do with the construction of the stadium, which is going ahead according to schedule and will be completed by April 21, the city's 53rd anniversary."

Local organizers in Brazil have come under pressure from FIFA and others for delays in preparations.

He said the U.N.'s expertise in hosting big events "such as last year's Rio+20 sustainable development conference in Rio de Janeiro" was the reason Brasilia turned to the UNDP.

Boaz Paldi, the UNDP spokesman in New York said that deals similar to the one signed with the Brasilia organizing committee had been agreed in the past for other events.

"We have supported the Pan American Games before on various procurement issues, so it's not unheard of that we would do something like this," he said.

In a written statement, world football's ruling body FIFA said it was monitoring the situation but did not control what the "host city decides at this point."

"The hiring and building of the temporary structures are contractual obligations of the host cities. Together with FIFA, the Brazilian federal government and the host cities, the Local Organizing Committee (LOC) conducted a mapping of all temporary structures necessary to deliver the FIFA Confederations Cup," FIFA said. "However, the LOC and FIFA only monitor the process in order to guarantee the conditions to operate these facilities during the competition."

The UNDP office in Brazil and the national World Cup organizing committee did not immediately return phone and email requests for comment and more details.

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Edith Lederer in New York and Graham Dunbar in Geneva contributed to this report.