Int’l committee formed to pursue violations against workers

CAIRO –10 November 2017: International Human Rights organizations and committees announced the formation of an International Equity Committee to look into the violations committed against Doha-based workers in the 2022 World Cup’s related venues, according to Emirate-led newspaper Kahleej.

About, 800,000 migrant workers in Qatar are involved in construction projects, representing 40 percent of the migrant workers there, according to a HRW report.

The formation of the said committee was announced at the meeting of the seventh session of the seven states members of the United Nations Convention against corruption, which started last Monday and ends Friday, in the Austrian Capital Vienna.

The organizations involved are the families of victims of the inhumane work conditions they have gone through during their work at the Sports Facilities of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, the African Organization for Heritage and Human Rights, the Arab Organization for Human Rights in Europe and Britain, the Arab Network of National Human Rights Institutions and the Gulf League for Rights and Freedoms.

In a statement launched by the founding organizations, they confirmed that the new-formed committee will be entitled with pursuing the violations of the human rights of the workers in Qatar and publicly disseminate the findings of their investigations and studies.

"Foreign workers have been living in Qatar and are still living a miserable life, working long hours in a sweltering heat, getting ill-paid, living in dilapidated mansions and being forced to not to leave the country unless they get an exit visa," the statement said.

More than 1,500 workers have died so far in Qatar and authorities there are only afraid of the information getting brought out, the statement said, adding that they have arrested a BBC media team who were on task of reporting the harsh work conditions of the workers and how they are being sent off to their families in Nepal and India in coffins.

The statement also called on the participants to condemn Qatar of practicing and spreading corruption, contending that several European newspapers said they obtained large amount of documents, including emails and letters that prove that Qatari Mohammed bin Hammam, who have been previously dismissed from the International Federation of Football (FIFA), paid $55 million for officials, in return for supporting Qatar's bid to host the World Cup 2022.