FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Will Be Historic Model says Chairperson of NHRC

FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Will Be Historic Model says Chairperson of NHRC

HE Chairperson of the National Human Rights Committee (NHRC) Maryam bint Abdullah Al Attiyah affirmed that Qatar's hosting of the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar will be a historical model to be followed in all upcoming global competitions and events.

At the conclusion of the work of the first Qatar National Human Rights Forum, which was held under the theme, "The role of law enforcement agencies in protecting human rights during FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022", Her Excellency added that the core themes that were discussed reflect the cumulative and the extensive experiences which is a reassuring experience in hosting this World Cup, pointing out that the forum will be part of the committee's annual strategy to discuss each year one of the most important issues that establish the protection of human rights and the preservation of dignity, thanking the NHRC partners in organizing the forum for their quick response to protect human rights during the World Cup, as human rights will be an immortal legacy for the generations of this dear country.

In the closing session of the forum, HE Secretary-General of NHRC Sultan bin Hassan Al Jamali delivered the final statement of the forum, which emphasized the continuation of preventive and awareness efforts that can be made by security awareness agencies, media institutions, and the Qatari educated elites of opinion leaders, to preserve public order and ensure a supportive national response to the Qatar World Cup, taking into account the cultural diversity of the public in return for respecting the Qatari cultural identity, appreciating what the country has accomplished regarding the issuance the Law No 10 of 2021 regarding the Measures for Hosting FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, as a special and important legislative tool for maintaining public order during this event, calling for intensifying efforts to raise awareness of its provisions through qualitative and general governmental awareness, information and communication mechanisms to achieve its aims, as well as employing education and training mechanisms in the National Human Rights Committee to raise awareness of the right to sport, and to approach human rights in sports activities among youth and sports circles in the State of Qatar (the Committee Olympics, sports clubs, and youth centers) in its future plans for the post-World Cup stage.

The statement also called for a deepening of the academic understanding of the legal frameworks regulating sports activities as a field for the emergence of multi-faceted legal relations (civil, criminal, commercial) related, including human rights law and the proposal of a code of international guidelines for the promotion of human rights in the field of sports, in other words, studying the possibility of establishing a general theory of sports law, with the appropriateness of allocating an academic course to it in Qatari universities, and integrating (the right to sport) within Human rights courses in civil and military colleges, and plans to spread a culture of human rights in educational institutions and approach (this right) with courses on physical training and sports activities in security and military training and rehabilitation colleges and institutes.

The final statement of the forum praised the efforts made by the expatriate workers in preparing the infrastructure for the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar, recalling the need to enable them to enjoy the World Cup, appreciating the professional role of the Ministry of Labor in taking into account this issue during the tournament.

The statement also drew attention to the need to approach the concept (the right to sport) and the values and principles contained in the resolutions of the Human Rights Council and the relevant Olympic Charter, in public policies related to human development as one of the vital pillars of sustainable development, and in national strategies related to youth and health, as well as approaching this issue in the efforts made nationally in terms of activating cultural diplomacy, especially since the sport has become a vital means of rapprochement and enhancing understanding between peoples and cultures and establishing the values of tolerance and respect for the other. 

The final statement of the first National Forum on Human Rights stressed the need to pay attention to empowering the most vulnerable groups to enjoy the right to sport, especially the persons with disabilities and facilitating their access to sports services and facilities the sporting utilities and services, including the empowerment of blind to follow-up the sporting tournaments, appreciating the efforts made by the concerned authorities to take into account this aspect during the World Cup.

The statement also drew attention to the importance of attracting the support of the business community for all policies and projects aimed at empowering young people and youth to enjoy (the right to sport), facilitating access to sports services and facilities within the framework of (Corporate Social Responsibility), and investing in the experiences and lessons that the World Cup will leave related to event management, whether in the context of preparations, during the tournament or beyond (security, social, legal, cultural, and health) as a rich national heritage and a source of inspiration that the region and the world can benefit from in such international events, by reformulating these experiences and lessons in the framework of a code guidelines governing dealing with sporting events on a human rights approach, in coordination between the Committee and the concerned authorities at the local and international levels, including the Supreme Commission for Delivery and Legacy, FIFA, the International Olympic Committee, and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).

The closing session of the forum was held under the title "Law Enforcement Agencies and the Promotion of Human Rights during FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Preparations and Governing Values". It hosted officials from the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, the Airport Security Department, the Airport Passport Department, the General Traffic Department and the Police Training Institute at the Ministry of Interior, where the speakers reviewed global experiences in dealing with sports events on the human rights approach and the preparations of their security departments to receive this event whether organizing training and rehabilitation courses and workshops to deal with the public of different cultures, customs, nationalities and beliefs, or providing and using plans to deal quickly and promptly with any emergency.

The conference, which witnessed wide participation of experts, police officers, representatives of criminal justice bodies, civil society organizations, research and academic institutions, the media, and Qatari educated elites, aimed at promoting awareness of the need to approach human rights in the work of law enforcement institutions to provide the reasons and ingredients for the success of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, developing a platform for national dialogue with the concerned authorities in the country to make this event a success and to introduce the Qatari community and workers in law enforcement institutions to sport as a human right and its role in developing human dignity and upholding the values of tolerance and international solidarity.

Source: QNA