June 16, (THEWILL)- In furtherance of the pledge of world football governing body to lead the cause of diversity in the game, there was a meeting on Monday between the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ organisers and leading organisations in the diversity field where they laid the foundation for a structured engagement process on inclusion and anti-discrimination.
This is intended to inform and further strengthen the steps taken by the tournament organisers to ensure a fully inclusive tournament next year.
At this first meeting, the Core Stakeholder Group on Inclusion and Anti-Discrimination was provided with an overview of the event’s Sustainability Strategy and on the series of initiatives implemented, and the members of the group shared their initial reflections and recommendations.
Of the initiatives discussed were anti-discrimination training of personnel involved in the tournament delivery, the implementation of in-stadium measures to detect and address discriminatory incidents, steps taken to ensure an accessible tournament experience, and the establishment and delivery of human rights grievance mechanisms.
Joyce Cook, FIFA’s Chief Social Responsibility & Education Officer voiced this when she said: “The FIFA World Cup is welcoming and inclusive for everyone – to people of all races, cultures, religions, gender, sexual orientation, disability and other diverse groups.
“We know that we can only succeed in our mission of ensuring a fully inclusive tournament if we listen to and work with key stakeholders that represent the diverse communities who will benefit from these measures and by integrating their perspectives and expertise into our work.
“This meeting was a key step in that respect, and we greatly appreciate the commitment of the group to accompany us on this journey.”
Present at the meeting were participants of the group who cover key areas such as gender and race equality, LGBTIQ+ and disability inclusion, and involved organisations such as the Fare network, Football Supporters Europe (FSE), ILGA World, the Centre for Sport and Human Rights, and Centre for Access to Football in Europe (CAFE), among others.
Through an umbrella process, FIFA, in collaboration with its joint venture subsidiary and local partners, will provide those key stakeholders with regular updates and promote exchanges, as well as address issues raised by the experts and their constituents.
Wednesday’s meeting follows another exchange held last week by FIFA with a wide group of LGBTIQ+-led and ally organisations from many countries and operating at the local, regional and international levels and gathered by the Fare network.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
