"BWI Files OECD-Complaint against FIFA", 28 May 2015

Today the BWI filed a complaint against FIFA under the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises for failing to engage in due diligence concerning human rights for migrant construction workers in Qatar. The submission asks the Swiss National Contact Point to use its good offices with FIFA to facilitate change and to facilitate productive discussions between FIFA and BWI. Ever since the bidding process for the World Cup 2022 started, FIFA has failed to address the large scale human rights violations against migrant workers building World Cup facilities. By awarding the FIFA 2022 World Cup to Qatar in 2010, FIFA did not respect Chapter II, Paragraph 2 of the OECD Guidelines, which calls for enterprises to “Respect the internationally-recognised human rights of those affected by their activities.” The complaint states that FIFA has failed to identify and prevent its adverse human rights impacts related to its relationship with Qatar — including systematic confiscation of passports, widespread discrimination, non-payment of wages, lack of freedom of association and unsafe working conditions...