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Clean Clothes Campaign

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Corespondence between the Clean Clothes Campaign and the 
FIFA 
Monday, 01 April 2002 14:29 
(more on FIFA) 
Corespondence between the Clean Clothes Campaign and the FIFA 
 From CCC to FIFA 9th of April 2002 
 From FIFA to CCC 16th of April 2002 
 From CCC to FIFA 27th of April 2002 
 From FIFA to CCC 29th of April 2002 
 
9th of April 2002 
From: Clean Clothes Campaign (CCC)  
To: FIFA Headquarters 
Mr. Joseph S. Blatter, President 
New evidence for inhuman labour conditions - a proposal for a new meeting 
Dear Mr. Blatter 
First of all, may we congratulate you on being nominated by the International League of Humanists 
(ILH) as "International Humanist of the Year" for your work towards peace between people. Today 
we address this letter to you on the related subject of human rights and labour conditions in the 
garment and sportswear industry. In the past the Clean Clothes Campaign has been in contact with 
the ISL, the former FIFA marketing organisation, about this subject (see enclosed letter). We have 
been in contact by telephone with the FIFA Communications Department (Ms Frei, in absence of Mr 
Coopers), but we think that you, the FIFA President, is now the appropriate contact. In view of the 
coming World Cup 2002 in Korea and Japan, the international Clean Clothes Campaign (CCC) would 
like to take issues forward and suggests a new meeting with you as president of FIFA and with Mr 
Patrick Magyar, Chief Executive of FIFA Marketing AG as the organisation taken over the activities of 
the ISL in order to exchange information and be updated on progress on the implementation of 
social standards. There are many reasons why we feel a meeting is important and the issues 
concerned should become a "Chefsache", a major issue for the FIFA Presidency. We therefore would 
like to propose a meeting with a delegation of the international CCC at your office in Zurich in May 
(between the 6 and the 18 of May 2002). Please let us shortly explain. 
The CCC appreciates FIFA's efforts against child labour in several countries, as well as the fact that 
the contractual agreements with licensed companies include the fundamental labours' rights 
(according to the ILO decision from 1998). We are also aware of and cooperate with other related 
initiatives such as the Global March against Child Labour . Through the German Clean Clothes 
Campaign we are involved in the Sportswear Congress in Cologne in May 2002. We welcome your 
efforts to collaborate with International Organisations such as ILO, UNICEF and WFSGI. Negotiations 
in 1998 an 1999 with the international trade union movement brought some improvements in 
respect to labour standards. However, today we consider that neither FIFA nor its sponsors or 
licensees are acting fully responsible. The actual contractual agreements with licensed companies 
are not in accordance with the Clean Clothes Campaign-model code in reation to living wage, 
working hours (60 hours per week - can be exceeded), and the principles of independent verification 
(local participation, educational aspects, compliance mechanism, transparency). 
Unfortunately, we did not get satisfactory information from FIFA on the implementation of social 
standards in factories producing for FIFA licensees or FIFA sponsors. We are deeply concerned 
under which labour conditions sportswear articles have been manufactured for the World Cup 2002 
by the sponsors and licensees of FIFA. As a matter of fact, we received many new reports of 
inhuman working conditions in the sportswear industry. We would like to refer you to our website 
for these reports: www.cleanclothes.org. We are therefore convinced that much more could be done 
by FIFA and by the sporting goods companies. Therefore we would like to ask FIFA the following: 
 To implement a FIFA Code which is in complete accordance with the Clean Clothes campaign 
model code and to declare that code binding in all contracts with FIFA licensees and sponsors. 
 To take full responsibility for the labour conditions at all factories where FIFA licensed goods are 
manufactured. 
 To agree on a independent monitoring and verification system. 
There have been several contacts between the Clean Clothes Campaign and Mr. Prochaska from the 
former FIFA Marketing Agency ISL (International Sports and Leisure). We appreciated the 
commitment of ISL, made in their letter from February 14 2001 to the Clean Clothes Campaign, to 
apply the labour standards not only when ISL-licensed products are concerned, but in general. 
Which means in effect that FIFA partners should fully comply with the relevant labour standards. 
However, since then the former cases remain unresolved, and new cases on labour abuses have 
been documented. For example concerning the World Cup 2002 Partner Adidas and the FIFA 
licensee Nike. (For more information see the report: "we are no machines" on the Clean Clothes 
Campaign website.) We asked the ISL to give evidence before the start of the 2002 World Cup, that 
all FIFA licensed articles were produced in accordance with international acknowledged labour 
standards. So far we have been disappointed. Given the gravity of our aim and the fact, that the 
FIFA has taken over the role of the ISL we would appreciate to discuss these issues with you, Mr. 
Blatter, as FIFA President. 
The international Clean Clothes Campaign (a coalition of more than 250 organisations in 10 
European countries) sees it as its duty, to regularly inform the public on labour conditions in the 
garment and sportswear industry and the commitment and behaviour of companies. Because of the 
World Cup 2002 related business activities, FIFA is approached as any other company to take 
responsibility for the implementation and independent verification of labour standards. As an 
organisation with the slogan "Fair Play" on its banner, we feel FIFA should take on a special 
responsibility - and set an example with respecting labour rights and social standards. 
Millions and millions of people will buy products linked with the World Cup 2002. Therefore the 
Clean Clothes Campaign is going to distribute information on labour conditions in the sportswear 
industry during the 2002 World Cup. But the Clean Clothes Campaign has no interest in getting 
involved in a negative public campaign against FIFA. Therefore we would like to propose a meeting. 
A delegation of the international Clean Clothes Campaign would be willing to visit you at the FIFA 
Headquarters and to explain to you what we expect from FIFA, and what the Clean Clothes 
Campaign understands under implementation of a complete code of conduct and independent 
monitoring and verification of this code of conduct. 
We would like FIFA to work with their licensees and sponsors in order that these companies would 
work with international unions and human rights organisations to establish a monitoring and 
verification program that includes verification of factory monitoring by credible organisations which 
are independent of (i.e. not selected by) the company. 
Switzerland has a special position within FIFA - throughout the Headquarters and the Swiss 
presidency. The Swiss Clean Clothes Campaign therefore plans to become active too, and has 
chosen a positive approach to contact the FIFA. We think that campaigning for social issues can 
enrich the World Cup. Therefore ideas and propositions for FIFA will be collected from the public. 
This input will show which improvements in labour conditions are the most important to achieve 
before the next European Football Championship. The goal is to collect at least 2002 propositions 
towards the FIFA by the end of July 2002. Therefore, the Swiss CCC would appreciate very much to 
meet with you, Mr. Blatter, again during August 2002 at the FIFA Headquarters in Zurich. We 
therefore ask you to set a date to hand over the cards with the ideas from the public campaign to 
FIFA. 
To organise the journey of the members of the international CCC-delegation we propose you to 
suggest a date for our meeting by the end of this week. 
We are looking forward to your answer and to meet with you. 
Yours sincerely 
  
Stefan Indermühle, Esther de Haan,  
CCC Switzerland, CCC International Office 
 
Zurich, 16 April 2002 
Dear Mr. Indermühle 
Thank you for your letter of 9 April addressed to the FIFA President. 
In view of FIFA's commitments to the forthcoming World Cup and related matters it is unfortunately 
quite impossible to have the requested meeting on the points you mention. 
As has been pointed out several times in the past to your organisation and others sharing the same 
concerns, FIFA as a sports organisation has as its primary duty the organisation of world football 
and cannot be held responsible for the labour conditions in factories. Despite this, FIFA has again 
taken the necessary steps to ensure that footballs used at the FIFA World Cup will have been 
produced without child labour (in fact they have been produced in Tunisia, as in 1998). 
Nevertheless, as part of our ongoing sincere efforts to influence improved conditions as far as 
reasonably possible in the production of footballs, we shall pass your letter to our relevant partners 
for their comment. 
Thank you for understanding. 
FIFA 
Keith Cooper 
Director of Communications 
 
27 April 2002, 
Invitation to a public event on FIFA's social responsibility, Zurich, May 17 2002 
Dear Mr. Cooper, 
Thank you for your letter dated 16 April 2002. The Clean Clothes Campaign (CCC) is quite surprised 
and even shocked to read that FIFA "cannot be held responsible for the labour conditions in 
factories". This statement is, in our opinion, in clear contradiction with the fact that FIFA has drafted 
a code of conduct together with international trade unions, back in 1996, and has included a range 
of labour standards, including the fundamental labour rights and additional standards that are part 
of the WFSGI model code, in its standard contracts with companies that are using the FIFA and/or 
World Cup logo. 
The statement of FIFA that it cannot be held responsible for the labour conditions in factories 
strongly increases the CCC's concerns about the implementation of corporate responsibility 
obligations within FIFA's business activities. FIFA, via FIFA Marketing, does have large commercial 
interests via its contracts with the sporting goods industry and other sponsors and licensees. These 
interests needs to be matched with a corresponding responsibility for the implementation of the 
labour rights of the workers in the sportswear industry. 
The Clean Clothes Campaign is aware of the fact that improving labour conditions is a enormous 
task that needs constant improvements and a pro-active approach by both companies and the FIFA, 
while including stakeholders like unions and NGO's. Therefore we would like to ask the following 
question to FIFA, while also proposing to discuss the answers in public debate: 
 When and how do FIFA and sport goods companies provide the public with clear and certified 
information about the implementation by FIFA sponsors, licensees and manufacturers of the 
contractual obligations relating to the labour conditions in all of the producer countries? 
 Will FIFA take measures to sign and fully implement the FIFA code on Labour Practice at 
licensees and sponsors that manufacture products with the FIFA and/or World Cup logo? 
 While Pakistan and India are at least relatively open to independent scrutiny on child labour and 
working conditions, independent information on China is very hard or impossible to get. How 
does FIFA monitor FIFA sponsored and licensed products in China and when do you provide 
independently verified public information on this? 
 What efforts are being made by FIFA to develop an independent and transparent system of 
verification, involving trade unions and civil society (NGOs) in all countries where FIFA-licensed 
goods are manufactured? 
CCC thinks that it is of great importance that the question of the FIFA's position on ethical matters 
should be settled before the start of the World Cup 2002. CCC therefore invites FIFA to a public 
event with a press conference at May 17 2002 to be held in Zurich. We therefore would like to ask 
you, Mr. Cooper, to hand over this invitation to Mr. Blatter, President of FIFA and to Mr. Magyar, 
Chief Executive of FIFA Marketing AG. We would be grateful if you could confirm the participation of 
Mr. Blatter and / or Mr. Magyar as soon as possible. 
We are looking forward to your answer and hope that previous steps by FIFA to integrate widely-
held concerns about the respect of human rights in sportswear production for its sponsors and 
licensees are being taken further rather than forgotten. 
Yours sincerely 
  
Stefan Indermühle, CCC Switzerland 
Esther de Haan, CCC International Office 
 
Zurich, 29 April 2002 
KC/ngu 
Labour conditions 
Dear Mr. Indermühle 
Thank you for your letter of 9 April addressed to the FIFA President, concerning labour conditions in 
the production of sporting goods. 
As you may already know, FIFA held a major meeting last month with the ILO, the WFSGI and 
representatives of the sporting goods manufacturers to review the child labour issues and progress 
made in the industry. 
We are aware that not all aspects of this grave problem have yet been solved. Nevertheless we are 
satisfied that significant progress is being made and that all measures have been taken for this 
important work to continue. The delegate of the ILO confirmed this sentiment in the meeting. 
We must however point out, once again, that it is clearly beyond FIFA's remit to - as demanded in 
your letter - "take full responsibility for the labour conditions at all factories where FIFA licensed 
goods are manufactured." FIFA is a sports body and not an organisation responsible for labour 
conditions. 
Our time is in great demand at present with preparations for the FIFA World Cup. However, We will 
follow up this matter with our specialist partners and ask them to revert to you in the near future. 
Thank you for your understanding. 
Yours sincerely 
FIFA 
Keith Cooper 
Director of Communications  


Correspondence between the Clean Clothes Campaign and the FIFA

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Correspondence between the Clean Clothes Campaign and the FIFA

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