By Andrew Warshaw
December 2 – Brazil’s troubled build-up for next year’s World Cup – stadium delays and accidents, safety concerns, street protests – takes centre stage again this week but there are a number of other pressing global issues facing FIFA’s chiefs as they head to Salvador, Brazil, for a series of meetings ahead of Friday’s eagerly anticipated draw for the 32-team 2014 World Cup finals.
After weeks of adverse headlines regarding Qatar’s so-called kafala employment system, FIFA’s top brass will discuss the latest information from Qatar about the human rights issues. There will also be discussion about switching the 2022 World Cup from summer to winter though no firm decision of timings will be taken until the middle of next year at the earliest.
FIFA president Sepp Blatter will report to the executive committee on his trip last month to Qatar where he met with the Emir to discuss workers’ rights.
Another key debate will be the contentious issue of trying to broker a deal that satisfies both Kosovo and Serbia so that the former can be given greater international playing rights.
Blatter recently hosted the latest in a series of talks between the two sides but the Serbs are totally opposed to any kind of recognition for the breakaway Balkan state which declared independence from Serbia in 2008.
The hugely symbolic provisional deal between the two sides of the Cyprus divide is also on the agenda for the two-day exco meeting as is the continuing intransigence between Palestine and Israel over freedom of movement for players and officials in the territory of the former.
Blatter has consistently defended the rights of the Palestine FA but Israel says it is has no choice but to enforce security because the Gaza Strip, from where rockets and mortar bombs are regularly fired, is ruled by the Islamist Hamas faction which calls for Israel’s destruction.
The issue will be further highlighted by the outcome of a decision this week by the exco on the hosts for both the 2016 and 2017 FIFA Congresses – Palestine, a full FIFA member, is keen to host the latter.
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