FIFA ‘obligated’ to compensate Qatar World Cup workers, report says

Report upon request FIFA football’s governing body has an “obligation” to compensate workers injured during the Qatar 2022 World Cup.

The long-awaited report from FIFA’s human rights and social responsibility subcommittee, finally published on Friday at midnight CET, said the governing body “has taken a number of steps to try to meet its obligations to respect human rights.” about holding the tournament two years ago.

However, FIFA did not implement one of the report’s main recommendations to use the Qatar Heritage Fund to help workers affected by human rights abuses, instead announcing that they would donate the money to several other programs that would not directly compensate workers in Qatar.

FIFA insisted that the study was not a “legal assessment of the obligation to pay damages.”

An independent study commissioned by the subcommittee and developed by business and human rights consultancy Human Level noted that “ultimately, a number of serious human rights violations did occur in Qatar between 2010 and 2022” for a number of workers . associated with the tournament.

These included “deaths, injuries and illnesses; wages have not been paid for months; and the significant debt faced by workers and their families recovering the fees they paid to obtain employment in Qatar.”

Recognizing that “the primary responsibility for correcting such deficiencies lies with the direct employers of these workers, as well as the Government of Qatar,” the subcommittee “supports the view expressed in the Human Level Study that FIFA also has a responsibility to take additional measures.” measures to facilitate the provision of legal remedies to these workers.”

World Cup organizers estimated the number of deaths directly related to the tournament at 40. Human rights groups have long estimated that thousands of workers died..

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A FIFA spokesman said: “All reports and recommendations have been reviewed through a comprehensive review by the FIFA administration and relevant authorities. Although all recommendations could not be implemented, practical and effective elements were retained.

“It should be noted that the study did not constitute a specific legal assessment of the obligation to indemnify.”

The report recommends that FIFA use its Qatar Legacy Fund to provide assistance to injured workers or, in the case of those killed, their family members.

The Subcommittee advises them to “act in accordance with the intention stated by FIFA in its press release dated 19 November 2022 to dedicate all or part of the 2022 World Cup Legacy Fund to further strengthening the legacy of the competition for migrant workers. »

However, two days before the report was published FIFA announced Instead, the $50 million fund will be used for a range of social programs around the world in collaboration with Qatar and three organizations: the World Health Organization (WHO), the World Trade Organization (WTO) and UNHCR, the UN refugee agency.

A FIFA spokesperson said: “The creation of the 2022 World Cup Legacy Fund was unanimously approved by the FIFA Council following a proposal by the FIFA Governance, Audit and Compliance Committee.

“The Workers’ Support and Insurance Fund was established in Qatar in 2018 and FIFA believes that the new Legacy Fund, endorsed by recognized international agencies, is a pragmatic and transparent initiative that will cover social programs to help those most in need around the world.”

After Qatar won the right to host the World Cup, FIFA included human rights as a consideration when bidding to host the tournament.

FIFA on Friday published an assessment report on Saudi Arabia’s bid to host the 2034 FIFA World Cup. declared the human rights risk assessment “medium”.

Voting for the hosts of the tournament, where Saudi Arabia’s bid has no rivals, will take place at the FIFA Congress on December 11.

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(Anne-Christine Pujula/AFP via Getty Images)