Saudi Arabia | FIFA urged to focus more on human rights

(Zurich) Two months before FIFA confirms Saudi Arabia as host country for the 2034 World Cup, soccer’s governing body has been urged to allow an independent review of human rights obligations, in which is related to the tournament.


Human rights and legal experts, as well as Saudi activists abroad, want FIFA to impose ongoing reviews – and a potential termination clause – in the contract to host the 2034 World Cup.

Advisors who came to Zurich on Friday want FIFA President Gianni Infantino to take into account how the choice of Qatar to host the 2022 World Cup was made.

Saudi Arabia, like Qatar, is a traditionally conservative society.

The country needs huge construction projects relying on migrant workers to build stadiums and other infrastructure.

“There are no more excuses,” said British lawyer Rodney Dixon. If that means another type of deal in December, that’s what they should do. »

The contracts for organizing the World Cup will be signed after the decision which will be made official on December 11.

More than 200 FIFA member federations will then hold an online meeting.

Saudi Arabia is the only candidate for 2034.

Promising not to be confrontational with FIFA, Dixon said: “We are not naive. It is not FIFA’s role to change the world. They are not the UN. »

On Wednesday, the UN General Assembly in New York rejected a Saudi bid for a three-year seat on the Human Rights Council. A total of 47 countries sit on the Council.

Experts and activists want to highlight Saudi Arabia’s record on freedom of speech and assembly, as well as labor laws and male guardianship, which limit women’s freedoms.

In 2016, amid scrutiny of Qatar and its treatment of migrant workers, FIFA demanded a human rights strategy from future World Cup hosts.

In May, FIFA received an offer from legal and human rights experts to create an independent process to monitor progress in Saudi Arabia.

Swiss law professor Mark Pieth, FIFA’s anti-corruption adviser from 2011 to 2014, said those requests were ignored and “we are here to try again.”

In July, Saudi plans for the World Cup were published, including an analysis of its human rights strategy, by lawyers chosen by the country.

Joey Shea, a researcher at Human Rights Watch, said her organization has documented “serious labor violations” against migrant workers, who number more than 13 million.

She warned that human rights groups had limited access to Qatar ahead of the 2022 World Cup, but there is “no access” to Saudi Arabia.

Saudi soccer leaders have always argued that the kingdom is making progress in social reforms as part of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s Vision 2030 program.

Saudi Arabia was ranked 131e out of 146 nations on gender issues by the World Economic Forum, Dixon noted.

“So many laws harm women,” said Abdullah Alaoudh of the Middle East Democracy Center. None of them are taken into account by the Saudi candidacy. »


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