PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 4, 2026

Advocates Call on LASEC Board of Directors to Explain Why the Posted FIFA Human Rights Strategy Fails to Meet Basic Standards, Despite Requirements for Hosting the World Cup

Los Angeles — Human rights and anti‑trafficking advocates are calling on the Los Angeles Sports and Entertainment Commission (LASEC) Board of Directors to publicly explain why the Human Rights Strategy posted on May 1 for the 2026 FIFA World Cup fails to meet even the minimum expectations set by FIFA’s 2017 Human Rights Policy.

On May 1, LASEC posted a document titled LA FIFA 26 + Human Rights. Advocates say the document is not a human rights plan. Instead, it merely restates existing federal, state, and local laws and provides basic hotline numbers. It contains no analysis of documented human rights risks, no prevention strategy, no operational planning, and no commitments of resources from FIFA or LASEC—despite years of expert recommendations and the scale of the billion‑dollar enterprise the World Cup represents.

In February, a contractor working with LASEC indicated that a draft Human Rights Plan would be released in May. While a document has now been posted, advocates say it does not meet the requirements of FIFA’s 2017 Human Rights Policy or LASEC’s obligations as a host‑city partner. Nor does it reflect evidence‑based recommendations from community experts, including those in the December 2025 Loyola Law School report, Preventing and Addressing Human Trafficking Related to Major Sporting Events in Los Angeles.

“Los Angeles is weeks away from hosting one of the largest sporting events in the world, and yet what has been posted is not a plan,” said Stephanie Richard, Director of the Sunita Jain Anti‑Trafficking Initiative at Loyola Law School. “It is a list of laws and hotline numbers. There is no prevention strategy, no operational planning, and no investment from FIFA. A billion‑dollar industry cannot claim to uphold human rights while providing zero dollars and leaving cities to absorb all the risk.”

Advocates note that Los Angeles is not alone. Across the 2026 host cities, most have not released human rights plans, and none have received dedicated funding from FIFA to support prevention, outreach, or victim services. This pattern, they say, reflects a broader failure by FIFA to operationalize its own human rights standards—and a failure by LASEC to demand contractual terms that protect Los Angeles’ most vulnerable communities.

Advocates Urge LASEC Board to Hold Public Discussion and Demand Accountability

Advocates are calling on the LASEC Board of Directors to place a dedicated agenda item on its next meeting to address:

• Why the posted Human Rights Strategy lacks prevention, operational planning, or resource commitments
• What steps LASEC took—or did not take—to ensure compliance with FIFA’s 2017 Human Rights Policy
• How LASEC will address the gaps identified by experts, including the absence of any strategy to prevent labor trafficking
• How LASEC will strengthen and fund human rights planning for future large‑scale sporting and entertainment events in Los Angeles

“Those at risk of abuse before and during major sporting events deserve protection,” Richard said. “None of that has happened in Los Angeles. The LASEC Board owes the public a clear explanation.”

Human Trafficking Risks Are Well‑Documented

Advocates point to extensive evidence—including findings from the December 2025 Loyola Law School report—that labor trafficking increases around major sporting events, and that prevention requires:

• Public awareness campaigns
• Worker‑led audits of supply chains
• Legal monitoring and protections for immigrant workers
• Expanded hotline and victim‑services capacity
• Independent evaluation and public reporting

“Without funded, time‑bound, enforceable actions, there is no meaningful human rights strategy,” Richard said. “Los Angeles has the expertise and partners to do this right. What’s missing is FIFA’s investment and LASEC’s leadership.”

A Billion‑Dollar Industry With Zero Dollars for Human Rights

Advocates emphasized that FIFA’s revenues for the 2026 World Cup are projected to exceed $11 billion, yet FIFA has not provided a single dollar to support human rights protections in Los Angeles or any other host city.

“Legal protections are meaningless if workers cannot safely access them,” said Loyola Law School Student Advocate Sophia Fortier. “FIFA’s refusal to fund even basic safeguards—while relying on cities to absorb the risks—undermines its own human rights commitments.”

The Fair Games Coalition added: “The lack of substantial engagement with key issues reflects FIFA’s fiscal interests, not the interests of our City. We demand better.”

Jobs to Move America highlights “The LA FIFA 26 host committee just released the human rights plan only weeks before kickoff. This is extremely concerning. One of FIFA’s major sponsors- Hyundai-Kia- has had well-documented human and labor rights concerns involving companies in its U.S. supply chain, including child labor. 

The plan falls short with no prevention strategy, no operational planning, and no commitment to resources. Los Angeles has invested heavily to host the 2026 World Cup. LASEC should take leadership in ensuring accountability in protecting local communities and workers along supply chains,” said Valerie Lizárraga, Assistant Director of Organizing & Policy (Western States), Jobs to Move America.

FOLLOW US

Stay connected by following us on social media, where we share updates on our advocacy, highlight survivor-centered initiatives, and post opportunities to get involved.