Following adoption by the FIFA Council in May 2017, FIFA has published a new, landmark Human Rights Policy. The document embodies article 3 of the FIFA Statutes, according to which “FIFA is committed to respecting all internationally recognised human rights and shall strive to promote the protection of these rights.” It further specifies and strengthens FIFA’s human rights commitment and will serve as guidance for FIFA’s human rights work.
FIFA’s Human Rights Policy was developed by the FIFA administration in collaboration with FIFA’s Governance Committee. The document was reviewed by FIFA’s Human Rights Advisory Board and a wide range of external stakeholders from international organisations, trade unions, civil society organisations, academia and FIFA sponsors. It is in accordance with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, the authoritative international standards on the topic developed by Prof. John Ruggie.
FIFA’s Human Rights Policy is published alongside a Activity Update Report on FIFA’s work on human rights. The report focuses on FIFA’s activities taken in the first year after the entering into force of FIFA’s statutory human rights commitment in April 2016.
Some of the main achievements highlighted in the activity update are:
the development and approval of FIFA's Human Rights Policy:
FIFA’s Anti-Discrimination Monitoring System for the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers and the FIFA Confederations Cup 2017;
the monitoring and enforcement mechanisms for labour rights on stadium construction sites for the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups in Russia and Qatar in collaboration with the Building and Woodworkers’ International (BWI);
The creation of the Human Rights Advisory Board , comprised of experts from the UN System, trade unions, civil society and FIFA sponsors.