11.5.2023
EN
Official Journal of the European Union
C 167/101 Thursday 24 November 2022
M. whereas Article 285 of Qatar’s Penal Code punishes extramarital sex, including same-sex relations, with up to seven years in prison; whereas arbitrary arrests of LGBTQ+ people have reportedly been based on Law No 17 of 2002 on Protection of Community, which according to Human Rights Watch, allows for provisional detention without charge or trial for up to six months if ‘there exist well-founded reasons to believe that the defendant may have committed a crime’, including ‘violating public morality’, which leads to frequent abuse of LGBTQ+ persons; whereas a Qatar FIFA World Cup ambassador shared a publicly homophobic statement; whereas seven football federations, including in Europe, have decided that their players can wear a rainbow-coloured ‘OneLove’ armband; whereas nevertheless, FIFA decided that players can be given a yellow card or expelled for displaying that armband, as it is as an alleged political statement;
N. whereas in 2016, FIFA signed up to the UN guiding principles on business and human rights, which compel FIFA to refrain from interfering in human rights and to remedy the negative effects of its activities in the field of human rights;
O. whereas at a time of insecurity and significant challenges to the rules-based international order both in Europe and in the Gulf region, and as the world faces the consequences of the Russian aggression against Ukraine and the COVID-19 pandemic as well as the urgent imperative of the green and digital transitions, the EU stands much to gain from a stronger and more strategic partnership with the GCC and its member states, including Qatar; whereas in 2021, diplomatic relations were restored between Qatar and Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt;
P. whereas the EU-Qatar Cooperation Arrangement signed in 2018 provides a framework for political and sectoral consultations on areas of mutual interest; whereas Qatar is an important partner of the EU and their relations cover a multitude of important areas; whereas Qatar has a key role to play in implementing the European energy security strategy; whereas engagement between the EU and Qatar has intensified significantly, leading to the opening of an EU delegation in Doha in 2022; whereas Qatar was a co-sponsor of a UN General Assembly resolution in February 2022 calling for Russia to withdraw from Ukraine, and voted in favour of resolutions condemning the Russian invasion of Ukraine;
Q. whereas the fourth EU-Qatar Human Rights Dialogue was held on 12 September 2022; whereas the Human Rights Dialogue represents a crucial moment of engagement to advance human rights;
1.
Deplores the deaths of thousands of migrant workers and the injuries sustained by workers during the preparations for the World Cup; expresses its condolences to the families of these workers and demands accountability;
2.
Urges Qatar to fully implement its new legislation protecting workers’ rights and to dismantle the remaining components of the kafala sponsorship system, such as absconding penalties for workers;
3.
Stresses that the EU is committed to supporting human rights in its relations with Qatar, including issues raised in the context of the FIFA World Cup; is concerned about reports that hundreds of thousands of migrant workers still face discriminatory laws and practices in Qatar; deplores the lack of transparency and the clear lack of a responsible risk assessment that characterised the awarding of the FIFA World Cup to Qatar in 2010; recalls its long-held view that corruption within FIFA is rampant, systemic and deep-rooted, and continues to believe the organisation has seriously damaged the image and integrity of global football, despite attempts to reform it, such as the introduction of human rights requirements;
4.
Urges public authorities, sports federations and organisations to uphold the universal values of human rights, democracy and the rule of law when awarding host status for major sporting events, as well as when choosing sponsors; asks for clear criteria and a charter with strong values to be set in this regard; calls for particular attention to be paid, ahead of hosting such major sports events, to the protection of workers’ rights, equality and non-discrimination, and for the establishment of independent and credible environmental impact assessments;