FIFA and the Qatar Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy (SC) have published a joint Sustainability Strategy outlining their five main commitments around the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

The FIFA World Cup will be held in the Arab world for the first time in 2022, and FIFA and SC have been working together for a number of years to ensure that the tournament leaves a lasting positive legacy in Qatar.

To deliver on FIFA and Qatar’s shared vision for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, the Sustainability Strategy defines five key commitments for the tournament:

• To develop human capital and safeguard workers’ rights
• To provide an inclusive tournament experience
• To catalyse economic development
• To deliver innovative environmental solutions
• To set an example of good governance and ethical business practices

The Sustainability Strategy outlines a total of 22 objectives and more than 70 concrete initiatives to meet these commitments.

The issues and initiatives that form the framework of the strategy were identified with the help of a thorough and continuous consultation process with local and international stakeholders and thematic experts.

Objective S1 of the Sustainability Strategy is to ensure an accessible FIFA World Cup 2022 for disabled people and people with limited mobility, while facilitating accessibility across physical infrastructure, public transport and services in Qatar.

To achieve this, four key initiatives have been identified:

• Accessible sites and services
• Accessible ticketing policy and operations
• Accessibility training for workforce and volunteers
• Wider accessibility in Qatar

Works have already begun to deliver these initiatives including creating Qatar’s first stadium-based sensory viewing room, and the development of the Accessibility Forum working group to engage with disability experts and disabled fans.

SC was also in attendance at CAFE's third International Conference in Bilbao, held in November 2018, where a number of accessible solutions and best practice examples were discussed.

FIFA Secretary General, Fatma Samoura, said, “The FIFA World Cup offers us a unique opportunity to bring about positive change – one that FIFA and Qatar cannot, and will not, let slip away. All critical topics related to the event have been identified and duly addressed in this strategy, such as workers’ welfare, human rights, non- discrimination and environmental protection. The document is also in line with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, and we are committed to contributing to those through the power of football and of the biggest single-sport event on the planet”.

HE Hassan Al Thawadi, the SC Secretary General and Chairman of the local organising committee, added, “When Qatar bid to host the FIFA World Cup 2022, it did so with a vision to use the tournament as a catalyst for sustainable, long-term change in Qatar and across the Arab world. From the start, we believed in the power of football and the FIFA World Cup to inspire innovation, to build bridges between cultures and peoples and to accelerate positive social transformation. Our measure of success for the tournament in Qatar will ultimately be the legacy it leaves behind. This strategy will help Qatar to realise that vision and ensure its success”.

To find out more and to download the FIFA and Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup Sustainability Strategy, please click here.

To support with the implementation of the Sustainability Strategy, and to ensure an accessible and inclusive experience for spectators attending the Finals, the local organising committee is recruiting a Social Responsibility and Accessibility Manager.

The successful candidate will be based in Doha, and will be tasked with ensuring that disabled spectators are welcomed to the 2022 FIFA World Cup in an accessible environment.

The Social Responsibility and Accessibility Manager will audit each of the 2022 FIFA World Cup venues and ensure they meet FIFA’s accessibility requirements. They will also develop and deliver accessibility and awareness training for key functional areas and stakeholders.

As a member of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 LLC Sustainability Team, the successful candidate will also ensure 2022 FIFA World Cup events and venues remain tobacco-free in line with FIFA’s tobacco-free policy.

CAFE Managing Director Joanna Deagle said, “Each major tournament has its own unique challenges to overcome, as well as a fantastic opportunity to leave a positive legacy after the final whistle. Following the most accessible FIFA World Cup to date in Russia, we are pleased to hear that FIFA is again reiterating its commitment to good access”.

To find out more information about the role and to apply, please click here.

Published 27/01/2020