European Parliament: 2022 Qatar World Cup "a risk and an opportunity" (Theo Zwanziger, FIFA)

The organisation of the World Cup in Qatar in 2022 represents "a risk and an opportunity. The World Cup may improve the human rights situation," said Theo Zwanziger, a member of the executive committee of FIFA (Federation Internationale de Football Association), during a hearing before the subcommittee on human rights in the European Parliament in Brussels (BEL) on 13/02/2014.

"Removing the World Cup from Qatar would be quite counter-productive. It would leave things as they are and human rights violations would continue out of the spotlight," said Theo Zwanziger, former president of the DFB (German Football Association) stating that FIFA cannot legally cancel the World Cup in Qatar, but that it cannot "turn a blind eye" to these abuses either.

"What is important now is to use this event, which has the interest of billions of people, as a means of pressure so that Qatar may prove that it is an open and tolerant country."

• Qatar announced measures, called "The Workers’ Welfare Standards" charter to protect the many immigrant workers employed on projects related to the 2022 World Cup…