The potential and momentum of hosting the 2022 FIFA World Cup is being harnessed as a catalyst for positive social change in Qatar in many areas, including workers’ welfare, a senior official said.
“We recognised the power of the World Cup to drive forward the change required to ensure the health, safety, security and dignity of the people building our nation,” Hassan Al Thawadi, Secretary-General of the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC), said.
He was addressing the opening of the 38th session of the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council in Geneva.
Al Thawadi said the journey to implement necessary reforms has been accelerated as a result of the World Cup coming to Qatar.
“We’ve built true and lasting partnerships within the international community in a spirit of transparency and openness that has served to guide us on this journey, providing constructive criticism where appropriate, and praise where our efforts have warranted it,” he was quoted as saying by Gulf Times.
Al Thawadi explained the ways in which the SC has worked with its contractors to improve the conditions of workers, including its rigorous Workers’ Welfare Standards.
The Standards is a four-tier auditing system and collaboration with various reputed international institutes, including the Geneva-based International Trade Union Confederation, Building and Woodworkers International (BWI), Weill Cornell Medicine Qatar and Impactt Ltd.
Al Thawadi said the ability of sport to provide a platform that can bring people of all backgrounds together was one of Qatar’s motives to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
“Sport and football in particular is a profound, impactful and global platform that touches the human spirit regardless of location, beliefs, culture or politics. It transcends society, and teaches us honesty, integrity, humility, how to overcome adversity, and above all perhaps most importantly in this day and age sportsmanship and a respect for your opponent,” He said, according to Qatar Tribune.
“We’re building bridges in a region, and for a region, which needs that vision of a better future. People from all corners of the world will visit Qatar in 2022, and for many it’ll be their first experience and their first impression of the region. We want them to delve beyond the misconceptions perpetrated to divide East and West and experience the richness of our culture, the warmth of our hospitality and our humanity, all while celebrating our love of football together,” he added.
Al Thawadi also spoke about the efforts undertaken by the SC and its contractors to reimburse unjust recruitment and hardship fees paid by migrant workers engaged in World Cup projects.
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