In a position paper on Qatar, the Greens clearly attack the World Cup host, but also praise its foreign policy. There is also criticism of FIFA.
Berlin – Robert Habeck’s visit to Qatar caused some irritation within the Greens. The vice chancellor is visiting the Gulf to negotiate with a country that the party base is completely skeptical about. Habeck had to perform a balancing act: addressing the human rights situation in Qatar while at the same time not angering Emir Tamim bin Hamad al Thani. Not an easy visit, as Habeck himself admitted.
The federal government is striving for an energy partnership with Qatar in order to become increasingly independent of Russia with desert gas. At the same time, Qatar has been criticized for its difficult human rights situation and its treatment of guest workers. Around a month and a half before the start of the World Cup in Qatar, the Greens parliamentary group has now drawn up guidelines for dealing with Qatar. In a position paper, the eco-party outlines eleven demands for the World Cup. The party has ruled out a political boycott.
Qatar World Cup: Party sees “massive human rights violations”
The resolution passed shortly before the party congress deals with the human rights situation in Qatar and the circumstances surrounding the awarding of the World Cup. The parliamentary group denounces “massive human rights violations” in Qatar, even though “important steps” have already been taken to improve the situation for guest workers. The reforms are in place, “however, there are major problems in implementation”. An image supported by Amnesty International in a recent report. In the eyes of the Greens, the Qatar government must now show “that it is serious about the reforms”. The Greens are also directly attacking the world football association Fifa.
There is praise for Qatar’s foreign policy, since the desert state has “earned recognition” in the West. “For example, the emirate was a key player in evacuating people from Afghanistan, as well as in providing a neutral venue for the negotiations of the Doha Agreement,” it said. “Unlike many other Arab states, Qatar has clearly sided with international law and Ukraine since the Ukraine war.” In total, the Greens have made eleven demands for the World Cup.
Qatar: 11 Green demands for the 2022 World Cup
- 1. Fifa must finally live up to its responsibilities.
- 2. Demand reforms in Qatar and the region and implement them sustainably.
- 3. Qatar must recognize the human rights of women and LGBTIQ*.
- 4. Strengthen workers’ rights and enable trade unions.
- 5. Fully implement labor law reforms.
*LSBTIQ stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer people.
- 6. Set up a compensation fund for migrant workers.
- 7. Set up a center for migrant workers in Qatar.
- 8. International sports federations must comply with due diligence requirements in their supply chains.
- 9. Create binding and verifiable environmental standards on a permanent basis.
- 10. Strengthen award standards for major sporting events.
- 11. Link national sports funding to human rights strategies.
Qatar World Cup: Greens sideline political boycott
According to their own statements, the Greens also want to look to Qatar after the World Cup. “Even if the spotlights in the stadiums go out after the final, we will continue our efforts to support Qatar in these reform processes,” said Boris Mijatovic, spokesman on human rights for the parliamentary group.
The Green Group seems to be relying on dialogue. A political boycott of the World Cup, which has repeatedly been articulated in the past, no longer seems to be a big issue. The topic is completely ignored in the six-page position paper. All MPs are free to travel to Qatar, says Philipp Krämer, spokesman for sports policy, at the request of Munich Mercury by IPPEN.MEDIA. But he himself will not be there. So far, a visit by SPD Sports Minister Nancy Faeser is planned, and Olaf Scholz will probably also be there. The Green Group has no concrete plans.
As a reminder: A year ago, the Greens were much more open to boycotts. Shortly before the 2021 federal election, the Greens’ top candidate, Annalena Baerbock, said in the direction of Qatar: “If you continue to support the Taliban in this way, if you continue to contribute to human rights violations in this way, we won’t be able to play football with you any time soon.” Other Greens expressed similar opinions. In our exclusive IPPEN.MEDIA survey of members of the Bundestag, the parliamentarians were divided on the issue of the Qatar boycott.
Regardless of political aspects, the Greens are also concerned with increasing the pressure on Fifa and future World Cup awards. “Corruption is still omnipresent in FIFA’s structures,” says Kramer. “Sport can bring people together, set a good example and also be the engine of progress – but not when major sporting events are abused by autocrats.” (as)
Inside Qatar
This text is the start of the Inside Qatar series. In the future we want to give you regular background reports on the (sports) political situation in Qatar – and look at different topics. If you have any suggestions, suggested topics or criticism, please contact [email protected].
#Greens #call #Qatar #guidelines #leave #crucial #point