The Dutch government announced this Wednesday the sending of a government delegation to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar “as is customary in the main comparable sporting events, to encourage the Dutch team”, against the will of Parliament, which adopted a motion that vetoes the sending of official representatives.
The Dutch Foreign Minister, Wopke Hoekstra, explained in a letter to Parliament that “the government intends to send a delegation, as usual for major comparable events, to cheer on the Dutch national team” and assured that they have opted for “cooperation with Qatar with a view to sustainable change” in that country.
The government has not clarified whether this will also include the head of state, King Willem-Alexander, in that official delegation.
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Last year, The Dutch Parliament adopted by majority -including two parties from the governing coalition, the progressive D66 and the Christian Union- a motion vetoing the sending of a government representative to the World Cup, including the monarch, the prime minister and other Dutch ministers.
However, Hoekstra explained that, before making its decision, the cabinet has “considered” that motion and has had meetings with different international organizations and partners, and maintains “consultations” with Qatar. on the human rights situation in the country.
In addition, the fact that other European Union (EU) countries are planning to send an official delegation has also weighed on the decision, which could make The Netherlands is the only one without government representatives at the eventand that, Hoekstra pointed out, would be counterproductive for “the constructive-critical dialogue” that he is having with Qatar.
The parliamentary veto in the Netherlands to send this delegation is due to the fact that, since the award of the World Cup to Qatar in 2010, vSeveral human rights organizations have denounced the exploitation and even “slavery” to which migrant workers have been subjected in the construction of stadiums, roads and hotels to host the event and the numerous deaths that have occurred linked to these infrastructures.
