World Cup 2022: IFA must raise human rights concerns in Qatar - Amnesty International
An IFA delegation is set to travel to the opening ceremony in Doha next week
Last updated 15th Nov 2022
The Irish Football Association (IFA) must raise human rights concerns with FIFA and the Qatari authorities if officials are travelling to the country for the opening ceremony of the World Cup later this month.
That’s the call from Amnesty International, which has written to the President, Chief Executive and Chairman of the IFA in advance of the FIFA World Cup, which is due to kick off in the Gulf state on November 20th.
Patrick Corrigan, Amnesty International’s Northern Ireland Programme Director, said: “If the IFA President, Conrad Kirkwood, or other senior officials intend to travel to Qatar on behalf of Northern Ireland football, they must take the opportunity to unambiguously stand against human rights abuses when they meet with FIFA.
“Qatar has an appalling human rights record, including laws which discriminate against women and LGBT people, and its lax labour laws have allowed the massive exploitation of migrant workers in the construction of World Cup infrastructure.
“Having awarded Qatar the right to host the World Cup without making human rights improvements a key condition, FIFA must take now responsibility over addressing abuses committed in connection with the tournament.
“We’ve provided the IFA with detailed research on the abuse and deaths of migrant workers linked to the building of World Cup infrastructure.
“The IFA has a moral obligation to speak up for human rights if they’re going to publicly endorse the World Cup by attending the opening ceremony or other events.
“The IFA should support our call for the creation of a compensation scheme for workers funded by both the Qatari authorities and FIFA.”
In response, the IFA issued the following statement: "The hosting of a high-profile sporting event can provide the catalyst for many societal changes for the country, or countries, involved. We also understand that the pace of this change can vary in different territories.
"At the Irish FA, we acknowledge the challenges in Qatar which are still to be overcome.
"Our view remains that change is best achieved by working collaboratively with others and, as one of the oldest associations in the world, we are happy to offer any help that may be needed."