19 June 2018 UK Houses of Parliament, London

A new All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) in the UK Parliament has been created to consider pressing human rights problems affecting large scale sporting events around the world. Bringing together together Parliamentarians from all political parties, the APPG focuses on three specific areas: the human rights impacts throughout the lifecycle of mega-sporting events, the impacts of the UK Modern Slavery Act on companies in the sports sector, and discrimination in sport in all its forms.

The APPG is chaired by Alex Norris MP and Baroness Young of Hornsey, with the Secretariat provided by the UN Global Compact Network UK and IHRB.

The APPG's first evidence session will focus on workers in the construction phase of mega-sporting events, reviewing both the human rights and modern slavery risks as well as what some of the solutions might be, in particular what role regulation and accountability mechanisms can play. Oral evidence will be heard from a range of organisations including construction companies, NGOs, independent researchers, and public bodies.

Speakers include:

  • Jin Sook Lee – Global Campaign Director, Building and Wood Workers International (Russia, 2018; Tokyo 2020; Qatar 2022)
  • Elaine Mitchell-Hill – Human Rights Lead, Marshalls Group
  • Mustafa Qadri – Independent researcher (Qatar)
  • May Romanos – Amnesty International
  • Myrto Tilianaki – Human Rights Watch
  • Rosey Hurst – Director, Impactt (working in relation to Qatar 2022)
  • Steve Gibbons – Director, Ergon Associates (London 2012, FIFA 2026)
  • Emma Crates – Chartered Institute of Building