Two days prior to FIFA confirming Saudi Arabia as the host of the 2034 World Cup, the top human rights official at the United Nations promised Monday to work toward ensuring that migrant labor rules are “properly respected” during the tournament. FIFA will call an online conference of its 211 member federations on Wednesday to award the 2034 hosting rights by acclaim without an itemized vote, and Saudi Arabia is the lone contender and clear winner. In addition to adding 175,000 hotel rooms, the oil-rich kingdom’s World Cup plan must construct eight of the 15 stadiums that were promised from the ground up. It will mostly depend on migrant laborers, frequently from South Asia, operating under labor laws that, according to activist groups, do not adequately safeguard them.
UN human rights to guide 2034 World Cup
Volker Türk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, stated that FIFA does not actively interact with his Geneva-based body with World Cup matters. At a press conference held on the occasion of the United Nations’ annual Human Rights Day, Türk stated,
“What we are involved in though is to ensure that indeed, in each major sporting event, human rights are part and parcel of the way that sports events are not only conceived but also conducted.”
FIFA critics warn that hosting the World Cup in Saudi Arabia could lead to a recurrence of the human rights violations that occurred during ten years of identical preparations for the 2022 tournament in Qatar. Following a formal complaint by trade unions, the United Nations-backed International Labor Organization (ILO) has already begun an investigation into allegations of widespread labor abuses in Saudi Arabia. Citing human rights concerns, two US senators have called on FIFA to find a new host for its major men’s tournament, which brings in billions of dollars for the soccer organization.
FIFA faces scrutiny over Saudi World Cup
Türk, an Austrian lawyer, stated,
“We will give the organizers exactly that kind of advice, regardless of the decision made by whoever is going to organize it.”
“Of course, that will also include ensuring that migrant labor standards are appropriately upheld and all the other human rights aspects of major athletic events.”
Despite its president Gianni Infantino’s tight relationship with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, FIFA has come under fire for failing to use its influence before the World Cup decision with Saudi Arabia. In a formal bid document, Saudi officials pledged to cooperate with the ILO and domestic organizations, but not with foreign organizations such as rights groups and unions with little or no work access in the country. In a required internal assessment released on Nov. 30, soccer’s governing organization commended the Saudi proposal and pointed out that the 48-team, 104-game competition presents “significant opportunities for positive human rights impact.”
UN chief to advise FIFA on 2034 concerns
FIFA also admitted that Saudi Arabia needs to put in “a lot of work and time” to adhere to international norms, which were heavily condemned in the UN Human Rights Council this year. U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Dick Durbin, who are Democrats from Oregon and Illinois, respectively, wrote to Infantino in October, urging him to select a host for 2034 “with a record of upholding human rights.” According to the letter, “the kingdom still tortures dissidents, commits extrajudicial killings, targets the LGBTQ+ community, oppresses women and religious minorities, abuses and exploits foreign workers, and restricts nearly all civil liberties and political rights.”
Human rights oversight for the Saudi World Cup
The 2030 World Cup will be awarded to Spain, Portugal, and Morocco in conjunction with FIFA’s confirmation of Saudi Arabia on Wednesday. Uruguay, the original World Cup host in 1930, Argentina, and Paraguay each got one game under that project. FIFA was able to launch an unexpected and expedited 2034 competition last October that was only open to bidders from Asia or Oceania by bringing together Europe, South America, and Africa for 2030, four years after North American neighbors the United States, Canada, and Mexico are scheduled to co-host in 2026. That virtually guaranteed Saudi defame. In a letter to FIFA president Gianni Infantino, Democrats Ron Wyden of Oregon and Dick Durbin of Illinois said, “We urge you to seek out a host country with a record of upholding human rights.”
Since FIFA abruptly launched a fast-track nomination process in October of last year, Saudi Arabia has been the sole contender for 2034. FIFA has crafted the competition to favor the Saudi proposal, even though the construction of most of the 15 stadiums required might replicate the labor rights violations that Qatar experienced during the 10 years of intensive scrutiny leading up to the 2022 World Cup.