UEFA focused the talks on topics such as human rights, grievance mechanisms, LGBTQI+ rights and press freedom
The Working Group of the UEFAon his third visit to qatar since May 2021, received the guarantee, by institutions and personalities of the Arab country, that fans who carry rainbow flags «will be well received» during the world Cupas reported by the body chaired by Alexander Ceferin through a statement.
The Working Group of the UEFAmade up of senior representatives of the member federations and chaired by Michele Grapemet with key institutions and personalities from qatar to deal with various topics.
The football institution spoke with the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, with the Qatar Football Associationwith the Hotel Sector Working Group, with the Ministry of Labor, with the National Human Rights Committee, with the FIFAwith migrant workers of multiple nationalities and different sectors, with the Center for Sports and Human Rights and with the Institute of Human Rights and Business.
Khalifa Stadium in Doha, Qatar Getty Images
With everyone, the UEFA focused the talks on issues such as human rights, grievance mechanisms, the rights of LGBTQI+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and intersex) and freedom of the press.
The UEFAin the aforementioned statement, pointed out that there was a «wide» debate on the rights of the collective LGBTQI+ and stressed that «guarantees were given» that the fans will be received safely «with rainbow flags«In line with previous statements welcoming everyone to qatar and respect for local culture and customs.
«The group asked if the hotel staff were informed about the need to welcome all guests without discrimination and obtained guarantees that this will be the case,» added the UEFA.
The Working Group also discussed workers’ rights and recognized that «significant» progress has been made with the impact of legislative changes demonstrated in recent International Labor Organization (ILO) reports on qatar.
«Since the new labor laws were introduced in 2020, 242,000 workers were able to change jobs (up from less than 18,000 the previous year). In addition, 280,000 workers received salary increases from the minimum wage. In addition, 338 companies were closed last summer due to Non-compliances and heat-related disorders have dramatically decreased since 2019 by 400 percent. UEFA.
Even so, he stressed that although the legislative evolution is positive, it was found that a universal application is still necessary. And, from the meeting with migrant workers, UEFA confirmed progress but highlighted the need for additional legal support, a shelter for abused workers and translation services so that workers can fill in official forms and have access to information about Your rights.
Likewise, from the individual experiences dealt with by the UEFA with the workers, the body chaired by Ceferin He highlighted the need for them and companies to better understand the new laws. Therefore, he concludes, one model to address all of these issues is the concept of the Immigrant Worker Center.
«Significant progress was seen in terms of further development to enable Joint Committees in different sectors and communities. 30 have been created, which will serve as a foundation for future worker representation and will continue to drive progress in Qatar. A target of 100 joint committees has been set for next year,» added the UEFA.
The question of compensation for workers who were injured or lost their lives in construction projects related to the world Cup and the Group agreed that any injury or death in any job in any country should be compensated.
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«The Supreme Committee outlined the procedures of the existing complaint mechanisms and the FIFA He noted that he is currently studying compensation mechanisms and promised to reply to the NGOs within three weeks and to keep the UN Working Group informed. UEFA«.
In addition, the Working Group met with the Supreme Committee and with representatives of the five major hotel chains in qatar for up-to-date information on the hotel due diligence process.
In this regard, it was clarified that each hotel in qatar has been audited at least twice as part of the ongoing process to ensure compliance with the legislation. «The federations also committed to conducting due diligence on all major local suppliers, in collaboration with the Hospitality Task Force.»
«We can look back on more than a year of activities, with seven meetings of the Working Group and three visits to qatar. We are grateful to the Supreme Committee and all the institutions involved for being open in our dialogue and finding solutions with a view to incorporating human rights considerations as an essential pillar of sustainable football events,» said Uva.