The parliamentary group Sumar has submitted a non-legislative motion in Congress to request that Spain stop sharing with Morocco the organization of the 2030 Football World Cup “in light of the serious events that occurred at the Ceuta border”.
In the text, signed by three deputies from Izquierda Unida – within Sumar – and a fourth parliamentarian from the group in the Lower House, the formation urges the Government to formally convey to FIFA, the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), and the Portuguese Executive “the need to carry out a specific review and evaluation of the current joint organization model” of the sporting event.
It emphasizes that the organization mobilizes “public resources, commits state guarantees, conditions investments and infrastructures, and projects the host countries internationally” and that this requires demanding from those participating in its organization “an effective and continuous respect for human rights, international legality, and the democratic principles that must govern the actions of public authorities”.
Sumar asks the Government to request the RFEF to activate the institutional mechanisms provided by FIFA to review compliance with the statutes and its human rights policy and to carry out an independent, public, and updated study of the “risks to human rights in host countries,” which should be submitted to Congress within six months.
Additionally, they request the Executive to evaluate the “impact of the events that occurred at the Ceuta border on the human rights commitments linked to the tournament” along with additional action proposals if “serious” breaches of the international and human rights commitments assumed by any of the host countries are proven.
For Sumar, a reform of the awarding and monitoring procedures of major competitions should also be promoted before FIFA to incorporate clauses that guarantee respect for human rights and include the possibility of reviewing or withdrawing the host status when “serious” breaches occur.
In the proposal, the formation also demands clarifying the facts that occurred at the Ceuta border, identifying the deceased and missing persons, investigating the corresponding responsibilities, and adopting effective early warning mechanisms, child protection, and life-saving measures.
Sumar’s proposal joins that of the Portuguese ecologist party Livre, which has sent a letter to its country’s Executive and the Football Federation to propose that Morocco not participate in the organization of the 2030 World Cup alongside Spain and Portugal.
