As the rain whips around Oslo’s government quarter, Lise Klaveness is shielding herself from the wind, trying to work out tactics. A slightly arcane aspect of human rights policy in normal times, the importance of remedy became very clear in the aftermath of the World Cup in Qatar, when the families of those injured or killed in the work that led up to the tournament were left without financial compensation after Fifa chose to direct a legacy fund elsewhere. At Klaveness’s prompting, Fifa conducted a review into the process.
The report ultimately found the organisation did have a responsibility to provide remedy, but Fifa chose not to redirect the money. Klaveness wants to focus minds on the topic once again and make sure new practices are in place for Euro 2028, co-hosted by England, Scotland, Wales and the Republic of Ireland, as well as the World Cup of 2034 in Saudi Arabia where labour movement sources suggest there is currently little to no external scrutiny on worker’s conditions. She is doing so at a delicate juncture.
While Gianni Infantino has assured those listening that the “vast, vast majority” of Fifa’s electorate will back his re-election as president next year, many within the game regard this as an opportunity for change. Klaveness is one of them, having been a thorn in Infantino’s side since she first raised the topic of remedy on the floor of the Fifa congress in 2022 and having called for him to resign this summer after the scandals of the Balogun red card and the Fifa Forward Enterprise fiasco. The 45-year-old Klaveness has been touted as a possible candidate in the Fifa presidential election, earning a perhaps less than desirable endorsement from Sepp Blatter.
The disgraced former president said Klaveness “deserved the utmost respect” and that “the time has come for a woman to take over the leadership”. Klaveness responded by recalling that Blatter “wanted us to play with shorter shorts”. Her position on a run for president today is to almost, if not entirely, rule it out.
I think we’ve been very outspoken so this time around I don’t think that would be a possibility for me and it’s not been a real subject for me either.” Not quite a no, then, but whether she runs or not Klaveness is a consistent champion for reform. She believes there are other candidates out there who could challenge Infantino and deliver change. She says it is crucial that any such individual is persuaded to stand before the deadline for nominations on 18 November.
Candidates need to have a base in different confederations. We don’t know how challenged Infantino can be until there’s a counter-candidate like that. But certainly there are people that can challenge him.” On this day at least Klaveness is reluctant to make too many pugnacious remarks about Infantino or Fifa.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
