KNVB holds fresh talks in Qatar

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The Royal Netherlands Football Association KNVB has once again visited World Cup host country Qatar as part of UEFA's working group on human rights and labour rights. The working group held constructive and open discussions with various local and international parties on 9 and 10 December. The talks focused on the situation of migrant workers but also touched on the issues of freedom of the press and LGBTI rights.

Apart from the KNVB, the UEFA delegation consisted of representatives from the football associations of Germany, Switzerland, Denmark, Sweden, Norway and England. Finland and Russia joined the discussions online. Naturally, the meeting also included UEFA and FIFA officials. The aim of the working group is to use public attention for the World Cup to bring about sustainable changes in Qatar.

The two-day programme included talks with Amnesty International, the National Human Rights committee, Building and Wood Workers' International (BWI), the International Labour Organization (ILO), the Supreme Committee, the Qatar Football Association and Qatar's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Labour, among others.

With one year to go until the start of the World Cup, the authorities provided an update on the situation of migrant workers. Qatar has recently introduced new legislation, including a ban on working in the sun during the hottest hours of the day. In addition, employers are prohibited from taking passports and workers no longer need permission to change jobs. Moreover, they can now leave the country without prior permission from their employers. A minimum wage has also been introduced.

However, consistent compliance with these laws remains a major concern. Another discussion topic involved the minimum requirements which the associations will impose on their suppliers in Qatar. These suppliers must of course comply with the latest legislation, but there must also be structural consultation with their employees represented in, for example, a committee or council. A special report on this topic will be published in a few months.

Talks with migrant workers

KNVB Secretary General Gijs de Jong: "In addition to the more formal sessions, we spent half an evening talking to some fifteen migrant workers, from various sectors. These talks were not part of the regular programme and were organised by BWI. They indicated that the situation is more complex than many people think. The migrant workers we spoke to were very positive about the actions taken by FIFA because changes are visible in every situation over which they have direct control. Migrants also see the World Cup as part of the solution.”

“At the same time, many things still need to be improved. For example, domestic workers sometimes still face abuse and in some cases, companies are trying to dodge the new legislation. We have agreed with this group of migrant workers that they will send us proposals for a number of improvements, through BWI, which we then will jointly bring to the attention of the authorities. The focus should be on worker participation and enforcement of the new laws. Furthermore, we are also hopeful about additional talks that will be hold in the near future between the Supreme Committee, FIFA, BWI and the Ministry of Administrative Development, Labour and Social Affairs.”

Feeling Welcome

The working group's official programme opened with a meeting session with the Qatar Football Association and the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, focusing on press freedom. The agenda also included discussions on LGBTI rights.

"The World Cup clearly constitutes a catalyst for labour rights. While respecting Qatar's history and culture, we would like to take a broader view. We have therefore pushed for commitments to ensure that really everyone should be able to feel welcome and safe. We received confirmation from the authorities that there will be no restrictions for the press. They also promised that a recent incident involving the arrest of two Norwegian journalists will be looked into and that recommendations given will be implemented."

"When it comes to LGBTI rights, we find the commitment that everyone's safety is guaranteed insufficient. We feel that this message should be more convincing and have provided ideas for this. FIFA has indicated that there will be an opportunity during the World Cup for us to express our point of view on LGBTI rights. The World Cup starts in less than a year from now and we are looking at the best way to bring our message across. This year, the KNVB has repeatedly spoken out against any form of discrimination and in favour of inclusion as part of our OneLove campaign. Just like we did during the European Championship in Hungary, for example. It would be nice if we can also leave something behind in Qatar in terms of awareness in this area," says Gijs de Jong.

Later this month, KNVB officials will travel to Qatar to look at potential facilities for both the Netherlands team and their fans and to make further preparations for participating in the World Cup. As with previous World Cups in South Africa and Brazil, this will be done in close cooperation with the Netherlands Embassy.