FIFA World Cup 2026 in Toronto is an opportunity for leadership in advancing human rights

The agenda item to which this deputation is addressed on February 29, 2024, can be found here.

Good morning and thank you for the opportunity to speak today.

My name is Ige Egal, and I am a Fellow at Maytree, a Toronto-based human rights organization dedicated to advancing systemic solutions to poverty. Taking a human rights-based approach to our work, we examine the systems that create poverty and advocate for ways forward that are grounded in human rights law.

When it comes to sport, we are working to advance:

• The right to sport and physical activity; and
• The right to participate in a safe environment that promotes health and wellbeing and protects human rights.

We believe that sport can be a powerful enabler in the advancement of a broad spectrum of rights including the right to health and education, as well as other economic, social, and cultural rights.

What is the opportunity?

The FIFA World Cup 2026 in Toronto is not just about celebrating sport. It also represents a great opportunity for leadership in advancing human rights in the context of mega-sporting events.

But hosting this World Cup comes with serious human rights risks including those around:

• Labour practices;
• Children’s rights;
• Displacement and forced evictions;
• Sexual exploitation and human trafficking;
• Surveillance, privacy, and increased policing of local communities;
• Discrimination and exclusion;
• Freedom of assembly and freedom of expression; and
• The potential for environmental degradation.

These concerns raise a pivotal question – and it is not who bears responsibility? Though the answer to that question, as you well know, is that it is a shared obligation.

But Toronto cannot afford to take refuge behind the notion of “collective responsibility” and delay action in anticipation of others taking the lead.

The pivotal question is not about who bears responsibility, but how do we take advantage of this opportunity to lead?

A call for leadership

It is not enough to simply acknowledge the potential risks of hosting a World Cup.

While this is a great start, what the City must do instead is to be proactive and take leadership by establishing unequivocal human rights benchmarks for how it will host the World Cup.

For how it will host the world.

This is critical to ensuring that the event serves to advance human rights.

Four recommendations to advance human rights

We urge the City adopt a proactive and strategic approach to ensure the FIFA World Cup 2026 celebrates sport and champions human rights. We have four recommendations in this regard:

1. Articulate a comprehensive human rights framework
   • The City must clearly define its human rights vision for the World Cup, detailing the strategies and actions that will be taken to address and mitigate the risks identified.
2. Engage stakeholders and communities in a meaningful process
   • Engaging community organizations, small businesses, and experts in human rights will ensure a well-rounded approach that leverages diverse expertise and insights.
   • One way to do this would be to integrate human rights into the City’s governance framework for the World Cup. This can be done through an advisory committee on human rights.
3. Centre the needs of residents and local communities
   • The City must prioritize inclusivity, community participation, and community benefits by:
     • Ensuring equitable access: Develop initiatives that guarantee all community members, especially those from marginalized and underserved groups, have equal opportunities to participate in and benefit from the World Cup. This includes access to training programs, job opportunities, local events, and community celebrations that are accessible, affordable, and culturally relevant.
     • Protecting cultural heritage and promoting inclusivity: Actively work to protect the cultural heritage of Toronto’s diverse communities while promoting an inclusive environment that welcomes participation from all. This should include efforts to showcase the cultural richness of the city through World Cup-related events and programs that celebrate diversity.
     • Considering environmental impacts and community benefits: the city must undertake careful planning of infrastructure projects and event logistics to minimize any negative impacts on local communities and the environment. This effort includes a thorough consideration of the potential environmental impact, displacement issues, and the necessity for developments to offer tangible, long-term benefits to communities, such as improved public spaces or transportation upgrades.
   • The City must also respond to and deliver on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action as they pertain to its jurisdiction and capacity:
     • #87: to provide public education that tells the national story of Aboriginal athletes in history.
     • #88: to ensure long-term Aboriginal athlete development and growth.
     •  #91: to ensure that Indigenous peoples’ territorial protocols are respected, and local Indigenous communities are engaged in all aspects of planning and participating in such events.
4. Create a broad legacy of human rights advancement
   • Notably advancing:
     • The right to sport and physical activity: This involves not just access but also the development of physical and social infrastructures that encourage participation in sport and physical activity for all, especially marginalized communities.
     • Safety in sporting environments: Ensuring all sporting opportunities are safe, inclusive, and promote the well-being of everyone.
     • Leveraging sport as an enabler of the fulfilment of a range of rights: Sport can be a powerful community development tool, but it requires investment and collaboration with community and the broader sport ecosystem.

By adopting these recommendations, Toronto can be a leader in integrating human rights into the fabric of mega sporting events before, during, and after the World Cup. This approach not only addresses immediate concerns related to the World Cup but also contributes to a broader legacy of social and community development, reinforcing the City’s commitment to fostering an inclusive, equitable, and vibrant society for all.

Community organizations, including those who deputed today (Toronto Community Benefits Network, Toronto Environmental Alliance, and others) stand ready to engage in supporting the development and implementation of a City of Toronto Human Rights Framework for FIFA World Cup 2026.