Fifa president Gianni Infantino (pictured) has announced the launch of a body to oversee the treatment of workers on Qatar’s World Cup stadiums.
These cases demonstrate the need to ensure Fifa’s human rights monitoring is not limited just to stadiums but includes all other activities linked to the tournament– Amnesty International
Fifa has been under pressure from Amnesty International, among others, over the alleged human rights abuses suffered by construction operatives at World Cup venues.
Infantino said: "I have seen the measures taken by the Qatar Supreme Committee and I am confident that we are on the right track.
"An encouraging example is the Supreme Committee’s response to issues that have occurred, such as the ones raised by Amnesty International in its latest report, which were already tackled by the Supreme Committee prior to the release of the report."
In relation to Qatar 2022 the new body will:
- Validate the quality and effectiveness of due diligence processes
- Analyse the findings of an independent auditing system
- Address any issues, findings or recommendations with the aim of increasing transparency.
Fifa said in a statement that its primary responsibility was "to serve the game and stage football events".
Mustafa Qadri, Amnesty’s Gulf migrants’ rights researcher, said: "The announcement of an oversight body and Infantino’s admission that Fifa must take human rights seriously are steps in the right direction. Â
"Amnesty has already exposed human rights abuses on the Khalifa stadium and the surrounding Aspire Green Zone, which need addressing right now.
"These cases also demonstrate the need to ensure Fifa’s human rights monitoring is not limited just to stadiums but includes all other activities linked to the tournament."
Image via Fifa
