Statement from Canada Soccer on Workers’ Rights and Inclusivity in Qatar

Canada Soccer supports the ongoing pursuit of further progress regarding workers’ rights and inclusivity as Qatar prepares to host the world. FIFA itself has acknowledged these important matters and is discussing them with Member Associations and stakeholders.

While strides have been made in strengthening protections for workers through the Qatar government’s labour reforms, we encourage all partners to continue the dialogue ensuring these reforms translate to tangible improvement in protections for workers’ rights and inclusivity across the countrybeyond the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™. We believe that a legacy of this tournament should be to inspire and encourage further improvements in this area, not just in Qatar but across the entire region.

From the moment our Men’s National Team qualified for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™, Canada Soccer have been actively engaged on these issues. We met with the Canadian Embassy in Doha, Qatar in April, July and in September of this year, focusing on cultural awareness, local education, and event preparation. At every meeting, discussions also included the latest updates on human rights and matters of inclusivity in Qatar.  

In recent months, we have also met and were provided presentations by the International Labour Organization (ILO) and Amnesty International where good discussions and updates were shared from both organisations.

In our planning and preparations, Canada Soccer have made the conscious decision to engage and partner with local vendors in Qatar whose shared values and principles are aligned with our shared Canadian values.  We will be providing cultural awareness to our players and staff, Friends & Family and corporate partners in the coming days ahead of their travel to Qatar.

Through our ongoing dialogue in recent months, it is our understanding that Qatar’s legal reforms, if fully implemented, have the potential to have a real impact and further improve protections for workers’ rights across the country. 

We encourage all partners to continue their efforts to implement recent labour reforms and continue to address and resolve past labour abuses. 

Canada enjoys a global reputation as a defender of human and LGBTQ2S rights, anchored on a record that is seen as one of the leaders globally.  Canada Soccer will continue to uphold that reputation, build on what we have already started, and like so many other sporting bodies internationally, continue to ensure our players and fans are safe, included, celebrated and treated equitably.