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5 December 2002
To: FIFA Headquarters
Mr. Joseph S. Blatter
Fax: 41-1 384 9696
Dear Mr. Joseph Blatter,
The Clean Clothes Campaign in Europe has on numerous occasions
been corresponding with FIFA, usually via your general-secretary
and/or head of communications, on the FIFA code of labour practice
and its implementation. Also before the last World Championship
Football we have contacted you on several occasions. We have yet
to receive concrete answers, providing evidence that FIFA is making
all necessary efforts to implement its own Code of Labour Practice
for all FIFA licensed and sponsored goods.
The Clean Clothes Campaign has expressed concern on the labour
rights violations in the sporting goods industry, which has been
exemplified by several recent research reports that have been
brought to the attention of FIFA. We have also expressed our great
concern about the fact that FIFA's contractual relations with
its corporate licensees and sponsors on labour standards, is not
matched by a world-wide transparent, credible and independent
system for the monitoring and verification of production. For
your information, we attach the last statement the Clean Clothes
Campaign and the Global March sent to the FIFA on 28 May 2002.
FIFA, as an international organisation promoting fairness in
sports, cannot overlook the shortcomings of their own programmes
and the lack of monitoring and verification of labour standards
which are part of FIFA's Code. Therefore, your statement in a
letter to the Clean Clothes Campaign, dated 16 April 2002, "we
cannot be held responsible for the labour conditions in factories"
is unacceptable coming from an organisation that - through its
licensing system via FIFA Marketing AG - has large commercial
interests in the production of sporting and other goods.
We would like to propose to FIFA that you convene a round-table
discussion inviting all stakeholders to work towards ending labour
rights violations in the sporting goods industry. We would like
to propose this round-table to take place in Switzerland with
FIFA, Global March, Clean Clothes Campaign, UNICEF, ILO, WFSGI
and the global unions to discuss the role of FIFA and other participating
organisations in moving towards the fair production of sporting
goods and other FIFA-licensed goods.
FIFA's partners, ILO and WFGSGI, that have been instrumental
in establishing Sialkot and Punjab child labour projects, have
already shown an interest in moving towards establishing a such
labour monitoring system, while UNICEF has also said in a letter
to the Global March (sent on 12 December 2001) that ' they are
'committed to sustaining dialogue with FIFA which began over two
years ago, and will join all partners, including trade unions,
NGOs and other UN agencies, particularly the ILO, to support the
ongoing development of transparent monitoring mechanisms for manufactured
goods around the world, including those associated with FIFA or
its subsidiaries'.
It was communicated to us by the ICFTU that the global trade
union organisations, a partner which you mentioned in your letter
to the Global March of 18 February 2002, also attach great importance
to re-opening the dialogue with you on the aspects of FIFA licensing
relating to fundamental international labour standards as well
as the larger issue of implementation, monitoring and verifying
implementation of your code of labour practice. NGO's can also
play an important role in key aspects of this.
We look forward to a positive reaction to this letter before
Christmas. We hope we will be able to productively work together
on the realisation of labour rights for all workers producing
sporting goods and other FIFA-licensed and sponsored products.
Yours sincerely,
Esther de Haan
International Secretariat of the Clean Clothes Campaign
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