FIFA president Gianni Infantino addressing a press conference during his first visit to Qatar since becoming the head of the global football body in February. Qatar Football Association president Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa bin Ahmed al-Thani, left, and Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy (SC) secretary-general Hassan al-Thawadi are also seen.
With this initiative, FIFA will step up its efforts in overseeing the set-up by the Supreme Committee (SC).
The composition of the new body, which will be led by FIFA, will include sectors of civil society and other relevant stakeholders to oversee all FIFA competitions.
Addressing a joint press conference, held yesterday morning by SC, Qatar Football Association and the FIFA on the sidelines of the semi-final of the Workers’ Cup in its fourth edition, Infantino said he was very pleased by the positive reaction and the support offered by the Qatari authorities for this initiative.
“Over the last few weeks I have been following very closely the discussions on FIFA and human rights, particularly around the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar,” said Infantino.
“I have seen the measures taken by the 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 it prior to the release of the report. This shows that the mechanisms in place are working related to FIFA World Cup construction although challenges remain,” added Infantino.
The hosting of the FIFA World Cup is an opportunity to set a benchmark in terms of sustainable and fair conditions for all workers in Qatar. In connection with the 2022 event, the new body will validate the quality and effectiveness of the due diligence processes in place, analyse the regular findings of the independent auditing system, the remedial measures taken by the Supreme Committee to address any issues and report about findings, recommendations and progress, with the aim of increasing transparency around this important topic.
The FIFA president reiterated that as a global sporting body, FIFA’s primary responsibility was to serve the game and stage football events.
“However, labour issues, especially in the construction sector, are a global challenge and we understand that everybody involved has a shared responsibility.”
Infantino assured that “we take our responsibility seriously and are committed to playing our part”.
He expressed his “sincere thanks and appreciation” to HH the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani for the warm reception accorded to him.
He also praised the outcome of his talks with HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani.
“We had a very open and positive discussion on the 2022 FIFA World Cup and on a wide range of topics,” Infantino said. “I told the Prime Minister the measures taken so far by the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy to ensure fair working conditions on FIFA World Cup construction sites are going in the right direction.
“However, I made it very clear that it is essential for the Qatari authorities to ensure that the country complies to international standards on the treatment of workforce and to continue at full pace with the implementation of the promised measures. The hosting of the FIFA World Cup is an opportunity to set a benchmark in terms of sustainable and fair conditions for all workers in Qatar.
“I was pleased to see the personal commitment of the Prime Minister not only to the 2022 FIFA World Cup but also to treat with the utmost importance the issues of workers’ standards so as to guarantee their rights in full. FIFA and I will take the Qatari authorities at their word and I look forward to the concrete actions which will be the real testament of will.”
In response to a question by Qatar News Agency about repeated press campaigns by some Western media and how FIFA would deal them in the future, Infantino said: “We will address these criticisms directly, and I am committed to addressing all the criticism and rumours and also committed to addressing all the issues and put an end of all that would be detrimental to football.”
This is Infantino’s first visit to Qatar since his election on February 26 as FIFA president, succeeding Joseph Blatter.
