Response from the Swiss Football Association to questions on human rights risks and due diligence ahead of FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022
In October 2020, we carried out an initial internal analysis and looked into the question of whether or not a boycott was an option for us...
In February and March 2021, there were meetings with Amnesty International, FIFA, the ILO and representatives of the Swiss Foreign Ministry. Subsequently, we decided against a boycott but in favour of dialogue...
To this end, our President Dominique Blanc took the initiative to set up a working group on human rights in Qatar. This group now includes 9 national football associations, UEFA and various human rights organisations. Since the creation of this group, there have been two trips to Qatar with meetings with NGOs, trade unions and members of the Qatari government.
On the question of hotels, we are currently looking at three possible hotels for our stay during the World Cup. At the moment, we are checking with Amnesty International, the ILO and FIFA whether minimum standards and, above all, respect for workers' rights are guaranteed in the construction and management of these hotels. In January, we will also send a delegation from the Swiss Football Association to Qatar to obtain binding assurances from the hotel managers on site.