WHO and FIFA against discrimination on Human Rights Day

They emphasized that discrimination, in all its possible forms and expressions, is one of the most common forms of abuse and abuse of human rights, affecting millions of people daily, stifling opportunities, harming physical and mental health, wasting human talent, and affecting society. inequality.

“Stigma and discrimination can be extremely harmful to mental and physical health and can prevent people from accessing the health services they need,” said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom.

He added that the World Health Organization is proud of its partnership with FIFA in the campaign against discrimination, as everyone has the right to health, and fighting stigma and discrimination wherever and whenever it appears is essential to achieving this right, he said.

As part of the campaign, the message #NoDiscinction is projected on giant screens and LED lights in the stadium during the FIFA World Cup quarter-final matches in Qatar, and throughout the tournament, on the captain’s armbands.

In addition, in the context of sports competition, an innovative monitoring and moderation service is implemented designed to protect players from abusive, discriminatory and threatening comments on social networks.

Launched with the support of FIFPRO, the global representative organization for professional footballers, the service has been offered to all teams and players and is entirely managed on their behalf, ensuring they can focus on their on-pitch performance rather than having to deal with social media abuse.

During the group stage of the tournament, the service automatically and immediately hid over 100,000 offensive and abusive comments (including spam) on behalf of registered teams and players, while over 6,000 posts were reported directly to social media companies for further action.

The joint letter said this shows how online abuse remains an alarming problem for footballers and for society at large, so its harmful consequences for mental health and well-being should not be underestimated.

International Human Rights Day is celebrated on December 10, the date on which, in 1948, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

It proclaims the inalienable rights that everyone is entitled to as a human being, regardless of race, color, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, language, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property status, birth, or other status.

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