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if they occur. 90 Former UN Special Representative John Ruggie has explicitly noted that
“[t]he corporate responsibility to respect human rights … applies across an enterprise’s
activities and through its relationships with other parties, such as business partners,
entities in its value chain, other non-state actors and state agents. 91
In particular, the Guiding Principles call upon businesses to undertake adequate due
diligence that encompasses risk assessments and monitoring, in order to identify and
prevent human rights violations, including forced labor and human trafficking. 92 More
generally, companies should have policies and procedures in place to ensure human
rights are respected and not abused, to undertake adequate due diligence to identify and
effectively mitigate human rights problems, and to adequately respond in cases where
problems arise.
These principles and guidelines apply to all relevant actors engaged in constructionrelated
activities in Qatar or linked to preparations for the 2022 World Cup. Additionally, a
number of public and private entities have undertaken specific commitments on labor
rights. For example, as noted, FIFA Secretary General Jerome Valcke has stated that “FIFA
upholds the respect for human rights and the application of international norms of
behaviour as a principle and part of all our activities” and would “work jointly [with ITUC]
over the next few months to address labour issues with the Qatari authorities.” It was also
announced that FIFA had “agreed to add labour related criteria to the bidding process of
future FIFA World Cups.”
Human Rights Watch also requested information from the Supreme Committee for Qatar
2022 (the FIFA local organizing committee responsible for providing facilities for the World
90 See United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC), Resolution 8/7, “Mandate of the Special Representative of the Secretary-
General on the issue of human rights and transnational corporations and other business enterprises,” June 18, 2008; and
HRC, Resolution A/HRC/17/L.17/Rev.1, “Human rights and transnational corporations and other business enterprises,” June
16,2011.
91 Special Representative of the Secretary-General on the issue of human rights and transnational corporations and other
business enterprises, “The Corporate Responsibility to Respect Human Rights in Supply Chains,” Discussion Paper for the
10th OECD Roundtable on Corporate Responsibility, June 30, 2010, http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/17/50/45535896.pdf.
92 Special Representative of the Secretary-General on the issue of human rights and transnational corporations and other
business enterprises, “Protect, Respect and Remedy: a Framework for Business and Human Rights,” UN document
A/HRC/8/5, April 7, 2008; and Special Representative of the Secretary-General on the issue of human rights and
transnational corporations and other business enterprises, “Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights:
Implementing the United Nations 'Protect, Respect and Remedy' Framework," UN document A/HRC/17/31, March 21, 2011.
BUILDING A BETTER WORLD CUP 48