By Samindra Kunti in Doha
March 31 – The Norwegian Football Federation (NFF) president Lise Klaveness slammed FIFA for staging the World Cup in Qatar and the host country for its record on migrant workers and the LGBT Community.
Speraking at the FIFA Congress in Doha, Klaveness delivered a powerful address that called for inclusion, reparations for workers’ families who have died during the construction of world cup stadia, and the defence of the basic principles of human rights.
The first female president of the NFF, she took to the floor towards the end of a two-hour congress that had descended into another Infantino-centered show without dissent or discussion.
With Qatar’s prime minister in attendance, Klaveness said that “there is no room for employers who do not secure the freedom and safety of World Cup workers. No room for leaders that cannot host the women´s game. No room for hosts that cannot legally guarantee the safety and respect of LGBTQ+ people coming to this theatre of dreams.”
“In 2010, the world cup was awarded by FIFA in unacceptable ways with unacceptable consequences. Human rights, equality, democracy, the core interests of football, were not in the starting 11 until many years later. These basic rights were pressured on as substitutes, mainly by outside voices. FIFA has later addressed these issues, but there is still a long way to go,” said Klaveness.
“The migrant workers injured or families of those who died in the build-up to the World Cup should be cared for.”
She called on FIFA and its president Gianni Infantino to do better. “It is vital that the current leadership wholeheartedly continue in this way, truly moving from policy to impact,” said Klaveness.
Last year, the Norwegian FA considered a boycott of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, but its members voted for dialogue, something the general secretary of the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy Hassan Al-Thawadi accused Klaveness of lacking before coming to Qatar when he took the stage.
A fuming Al-Thawadi said: “She didn’t attempt to engage in dialogue. We have always had our doors open for anybody – to educate themselves before passing any judgment.”
Al-Thawadi’s intervention was preceded by a short intervention from the president of the Honduras federation Jorge Salomon, who said that “this is not the right stage, not the right forum,” for the topics Klaveness raised.
If it isn’t the right stage then what is?
In repeating Infantino’s words, Salomon concluded that “football brings us here, let us not lose our focus.”
It was a remarkably unintelligent observation in the face of the power and conviction of Klaveness’ address, and one that the normally measured Al-Thawadi ignored as he struggled to contain his anger in his response.
The reality is that Al-Thawadi was right in that his country has made significant and, in comparison to what went before, impressive change in terms of human rights. But at the same time Klaveness was similarly right and the more FIFA tried to convince the audience and anyone listening that human rights were front and centre of them being good global citizens, the more hollow it sounded.
In Infantino’s closing speech FIFA showed a video that enthusiastically showcased the labour reforms made in Qatar since his arrival as president. In the video were all the right lobby groups saying all the right things – from the ILO to the woodworkers union to the anti-discrimination leaders.
How they must have cringed as they watched that video in the context of Klaveness’ hard-hitting address.
Contact the writer of this story at moc.l1714189182labto1714189182ofdlr1714189182owedi1714189182sni@i1714189182tnuk.1714189182ardni1714189182mas1714189182