Health, safety and security
Initiative description: Ensure that safety and security practices at the FIFA World Cup 2022™ are aligned with international standards of human rights protection and ensure tobacco-free FIFA World Cup 2022™ sites and events
Any major sporting event, including the FIFA World Cup™, presents certain risks to the safety and security of attendees, participants and local communities.
While Qatar is considered one of the most peaceful countries in the MENA region, it maintains a robust security system and infrastructure to ensure the safety and security of all its residents and visitors, which will provide the foundation for the safety and security of the FIFA World Cup 2022™. Qatar’s National Command Centre (NCC) directly coordinates the activities of all police and emergency services as well as intelligence and security forces and has experience in the unified coordination and command of major international sports events.
In 2012, the State of Qatar and INTERPOL established Project Stadia, a ten-year project with the aim of helping INTERPOL member countries in planning and executing policing and security preparations for major sporting events. The Project brings together best practices and lessons learnt from member countries that have successfully hosted such events.
In its Human Rights Policy, FIFA acknowledges that providing for the safety and security of people who attend, are involved in, or affected by FIFA’s events, may impact certain fundamental human rights, such as freedom of movement, expression and assembly. FIFA is committed to engaging with relevant host-country entities to minimise any such impact, ensuring it is necessary and proportionate, while taking into account legitimate security concerns.
Additionally, to protect the health and safety of athletes and spectators from exposure to second-hand smoke, FIFA introduced a smoking ban at FIFA World Cup™ in 2002, and in 2017 published its FIFA Event Policy on Tobacco (applicable to all FIFA sites and events). Qatar’s national legislation already prohibits smoking in public spaces.
The tobacco-free policy forbids all links with the tobacco industry in any form by banning all tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship, and all sales of tobacco products or related tobacco products within an event site or its control.