Protect Human Rights or Move WC Out of Qatar, Report Urges FIFA

FIFA’s stance on human rights in other host states has come under fire in a report by a Harvard University professor.

FIFA must show that it respects human rights and brandish the threat of withdrawing a World Cup to prove it means business, an independent review of football’s world body said.

The report by former UN special representative on human rights and business John Ruggie is likely to intensify pressure on 2022 hosts Qatar, widely condemned for its treatment of migrant labourers.

FIFA has also come under fire for its stance on human rights in other host states, including Russia, which will hold football’s biggest tournament in 2018.

According to a report by Ruggie, a Harvard University human rights professor:

Where FIFA is unable to reduce severe human rights impacts by using its leverage, it should consider suspending or terminating the relationship. Like any other enterprise, FIFA needs to be able to terminate a relationship if peoples’ human rights are abused. This means writing it into its agreements for World Cup tournaments from the start.

Ruggie’s Report

The report was commissioned by FIFA in December to assess its human rights efforts, ahead of selecting a host for the 2026 tournament.

The report sets out 25 recommendations for action, including urging FIFA to integrate human rights into its practices ahead of choosing a 2026 host and signing up to the UN’s principles on Business and Human Rights.

Ruggie concluded that the governing body could do much more to enforce the protection of human rights.

“FIFA has been beset by allegations about human rights abuses in connection with its events and relationships,” said Ruggie, a Harvard University professor.

“Prominent among them have been reported deaths among migrant construction workers in Qatar, which was awarded the 2022 Men’s World Cup, and the country’s kafala system that often leaves migrant workers in situations of bonded labour.

The report continued: “Where FIFA is unable to reduce severe human rights impacts by using its leverage, it should consider suspending or terminating the relationship.”

Ruggie also questioned FIFA’s choice of Papua New Guinea to host the women’s Under-20 World Cup this year. He said it was “one of the world’s worst places for sexual violence against women”.

He added FIFA does not have “adequate systems” in place to show it respects human rights.

Even if FIFA was not responsible for rights abuses by different countries, said Ruggie, but he said it needed to make a stand when doing business.

In response, new FIFA president Gianni Infantino said in a statement that his organisation was “fully committed to respecting human rights”, but acknowledged that “challenges remain”.