[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 926 Introduced in House (IH)]
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115th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. RES. 926
Condemning Russian transgressions against international law and FIFA
values during the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
June 6, 2018
Ms. Kaptur (for herself, Ms. Ros-Lehtinen, Mr. Poe of Texas, Mr. Perry,
Mr. Sires, Mrs. Dingell, Mr. Connolly, Mr. Burgess, Mr. Engel, Mr.
Cook, Mr. Cicilline, Mr. Gutierrez, Mr. Fitzpatrick, Mr. Harris, and
Mr. McCaul) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to
the Committee on Foreign Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Condemning Russian transgressions against international law and FIFA
values during the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
Whereas the Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA)'s mission
statement reads, ``the world is a place rich in natural beauty and
cultural diversity, but also one where many are still deprived of their
basic rights. FIFA now has an even greater responsibility to reach out
and touch the world, using football as a symbol of hope and
integration'';
Whereas Article 3 of FIFA's statutes states, ``FIFA is committed to respecting
all internationally recognized human rights and shall strive to promote
the protection of these rights'';
Whereas Article 4 of FIFA's statutes states, ``discrimination of any kind
against a country, private person or group of people on account of race,
skin color, ethnic, national or social origin, gender, disability,
language, religion, political opinion . . . is strictly prohibited and
punishable by suspension or expulsion'';
Whereas FIFA awarded the Russian Federation hosting rights of the 2018 World Cup
on December 2, 2010;
Whereas the Russian government consistently intimidates and jails protestors and
civil society in contravention of the Helsinki Charter;
Whereas Russia increasingly seeks to dominate its neighbors, such as Ukraine,
Georgia, and Moldova, and undermine the rules-based international order
through military action;
Whereas Russia has a deeply troubling human rights record, and has targeted
human rights defenders including those active in protecting the
environment, participating in democratic movements, calling out
corruption, and others seeking to practice their rights;
Whereas human rights activists have documented labor abuses at construction
sites related to the 2018 World Cup, including withholding or long
delays in payment of wages, flawed or missing labor contracts necessary
for legal employment, dangerous working conditions, and an environment
of intimidation;
Whereas Russia's actions violate international norms, FIFA's values, and the
spirit of the game of soccer;
Whereas FIFA invests upwards $627 million allocated for ``local organization'',
and the windfall from millions of tourists to Russia will boost the
Russian economy, potentially freeing up money for further military
aggression;
Whereas the World Cup has a viewership of 3.2 billion people and would provide
Russia one of the largest international platforms to spread its
disinformation;
Whereas the World Cup raises Russia's prestige on the world stage, despite its
malign and revanchist behavior, human rights abuses, and expansionist
objectives;
Whereas a dark cloud hangs over the selection of Russia as World Cup host, as
allegations of bribery and corruption have been leveled against the
Russian bid committee, including investigations in the United States,
Switzerland, and France;
Whereas Russia was expelled from the 2018 Olympics, due to unprecedented levels
of doping and cheating;
Whereas Russia uses its networks of patronage and corruption to undermine
democratic institutions and alliances that are critical to the rules-
based order;
Whereas Russian aggression and the continued illegal occupation of regions of
Ukraine has caused more than 10,000 deaths, displaced 1.6 million
Ukrainians, and marginalized the native Tatar population of Crimea;
Whereas FIFA has a history of sanctioning a country for destabilizing behavior,
such as banning the former Yugoslavia from the 1994 World Cup and the
1992 European Championship; and
Whereas the United States and the international community must continue to hold
Russia to account, punish Russian contravention of international law,
and take action to deter future destabilizing actions: Now, therefore,
be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) condemns Russia's continued destabilizing behavior in
Ukraine and the region; and
(2) calls on the Federation Internationale de Football
Association (FIFA) and its associated international community
to--
(A) continue investigations into illicit Russian
efforts to secure the World Cup;
(B) condemn Russia's transgressions against
international law and FIFA values;
(C) publically detail the FIFA processes and
procedures to ensure that all World Cup athletes,
particularly including those of the Russian Federation,
are not using illegal performance-enhancing drugs;
(D) provide a public, detailed explanation of why
FIFA continues to plan to hold the World Cup in Russia
given its continued status as an internationally
sanctioned country due to its ongoing aggression
against Ukraine, including its illegal occupation of
Crimea;
(E) ensure that future bidding processes occur in a
fully transparent manner and in line with international
and FIFA values; and
(F) reaffirm its commitment to the FIFA charter,
particularly including Article 3 and Article 4.
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