Together with the Austrian League for Human Rights, we have published a special issue on the FIFA World Cup.
The “Our Game for Human Rights” initiative for the FIFA World Cup in Qatar was launched at the beginning of 2022 and consists of several civil society organizations. It is part of a broader area of work of the fairplay initiative at the VIDC, which deals with the issue of human rights in the context of major sporting events – this year with a focus on Qatar. In 2010, soccer’s world governing body FIFA awarded the 2022 World Cup to Qatar. The competitors at the time were the USA, South Korea, Japan and Australia. Qatar’s hosting of the event was criticized from the outset. Not only because of the plans to hold the World Cup either in winter or in summer if the stadiums could be air-conditioned, but above all because of the human rights situation in Qatar. In addition, there were accusations of corruption against FIFA in relation to the allocation of votes for Qatar.
Back in 2014, the “Nosso Jogo” initiative coordinated by fairplay at the VIDC, together with the Bau-Holz trade union, called for an end to labor rights violations on the World Cup construction sites in Qatar in front of the Qatari embassy in Vienna. At that time, we laid down 1,200 construction helmets in front of the embassy on behalf of the construction workers who had died by then. According to an estimate by “The Guardian”, we would now need over 6,500 helmets.
However, it is not only the area of labor law in Qatar that is problematic. Since the award, there have also been significant human rights violations in the areas of freedom of the press and freedom of expression, women’s rights and LGBTQI+ rights.
By bidding for major sporting events, countries often pursue the goal of presenting themselves positively to the public (“sportswashing”) in order to boost their economy. Qatar adopted this strategy some time ago: in the last 15 years, the small emirate has hosted over 500 international sporting events; in addition, the state-owned company Qatar Airways sponsors clubs such as Paris St. Germain and FC Bayern Munich.
In principle, however, major sporting events have great potential to promote human rights – if targeted measures are taken. It must be clear at the bidding stage what human rights risks there are and how these can be countered. Furthermore, all activities surrounding the event must guarantee that human rights are not only respected but also actively protected. Accordingly, the “Our Game for Human Rights” initiative has drawn up a paper of demands.
With this special issue, we want to provide an insight into the many facets and topics and at the same time hope that – despite critical perspectives – we can provide optimistic and constructive input for future major sporting events in order to stand up together for a sport that guarantees the dignity of all and focuses on solidarity and anti-discrimination. The booklet can be found as a supplement in the new ballesterer (for subscribers) or downloaded here (in German):