Between 21 and 23 January, a delegation of the Sport Conventions Division of the Council of Europe, including FIFA observers, carried out a fact-finding visit to Doha (Qatar), within the framework of its project on technical assistance for Qatar FIFA World Cup 2022 (project “Qatar 22”).

This project was agreed, late March 2018, between the Council of Europe and the State of Qatar, represented by the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, and will have a duration of two years.

The project aims at supporting Qatar reach the necessary standards to accede, in due time, to the Council of Europe Convention on an Integrated Safety, Security and Service Approach at Football Matches and other Sports Events (CETS No. 218), also called «Saint-Denis Convention», in preparation of the World Cup.

During this fact-finding visit, the Council of Europe delegation met relevant stakeholders representing the Qatari Supreme Committee. Both Parties agreed on the need to draft a frame law on major sporting events and a roadmap for subsequent laws and regulations, along with an institutional framework to be implemented, in compliance with the Saint-Denis Convention standards.