International Migrants Day: a day of special significance for the RBFA and the Belgian Platform for Qatar

As is well known, the RBFA established the Belgian Platform for Qatar on 25 August 2021 to enable and monitor sustainable changes for migrant workers in Qatar. The members of this platform are Amnesty International Vlaanderen (AIVL) and Amnesty International Belgium Francophone (AIBF), the trade unions ACV BIE, ABVV, and the RBFA. The platform meets on a regular basis. The most recent meeting took place on Thursday 9 December 2021, in the presence of representatives of FIFA and the ILO (International Labour Organisation).

At the most recent meeting on 9 December, the various actions of partners in the platform were discussed and decided upon. For example, there is ongoing consultation with FIFA to monitor the situation on the ground and exert pressure for further change. Furthermore, the RBFA will draw up an ethical charter focusing on human rights, diversity and working conditions that every supplier in Qatar must comply with before collaboration takes place. Together with Amnesty International, workshops will be organised for RBFA personnel, staff, and the Belgian Red Devils. And there will be information sessions about Qatar for all fans travelling with the Belgian Red Devils at the end of 2022.

"We welcome the RBFA's proposal to offer workshops to ensure people are correctly informed about the human rights situation in Qatar. It is very important that the 2022 World Cup leaves a positive legacy for all migrant workers in the country. A clear view on how the human rights situation in the country is evolving is indispensable for this." ​
​Wies De Graeve, Director of Amnesty International Belgium

In addition, the platform received extensive feedback from the International Labour Organization (ILO), part of the United Nations, on the evolution of labour conditions in Qatar.

Special attention was paid to the joint statement of the partners, drawn up together with Builders and Woodworkers International (BWI), on the need for the implementation of the Migrant Workers' Centre. In an official and supportive letter from the RBFA this statement was passed on to Mr. Gianni Infantino, President of World Football Federation FIFA.

"Through the consultation platform, we stay updated on the situation in Qatar and come into contact with organisations and people on the ground. These insights convince us that we should continue to press for change through this platform. We believe that the 2022 FIFA World Cup will play an important role as a lever for further and sustainable improvements." ​
​Peter Bossaert, CEO of the RBFA

"With less than a year to go until the 2022 World Cup, two fundamental steps forward are necessary: first, the establishment of the Migrant Workers' Centre and second, the effective and widespread implementation of other positive reforms already taken in Qatar." ​
​Gianni De Vlaminck, Federal Secretary of AC-ABVV

"It is imperative to operationalise the BWI's proposal and support this essential contribution to respecting rights, improving working conditions and strengthening the voice of workers in Qatar. It is also important to maintain engagement and dialogue with Qatar, even after the World Cup." ​
​Patrick Vandenberghe, President of ACV BIE