Rights of media and human rights advocates

Journalists and human rights defenders are a group whose rights may be at particular risk due to the nature of their work. At the same time, however, their work at the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ is essential for human rights-related efforts to succeed. Human rights defenders bring specific human rights risks to our attention and advise on the effectiveness of measures taken. In some instances, they act as legitimate representatives of people and groups who may be affected by FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ activities. Human rights defenders have the right to express opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media regardless of borders.

Under its Human Rights Policy, FIFA affirms that it will “[help] protect those who advocate respect for human rights associated with its activities… [and] respect and not interfere with the work of both human rights defenders who voice concerns about adverse human rights impacts relating to FIFA and media representatives covering FIFA’s events and activities.”

In accordance with the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, the scope of FIFA’s responsibility to respect and help protect the rights of human rights defenders and media representatives includes situations where FIFA may itself cause or contribute to a potential or actual adverse impact through its own activities. These may also include situations where a potential or actual adverse impact is directly linked to FIFA’s activities through its business relationships with third parties. FIFA further specifies its commitments in this regard in its statement on human rights defenders and media representatives.

Qatar’s constitution enshrines freedom of speech and press. It is within this constitutional framework, and informed by relevant international standards, that FIFA and the host country implemented a set of initiatives with the aim of ensuring that human rights defenders and journalists were able to operate freely in all activities associated with the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™.