Six of the world’s biggest sports organisations, including FIFA, the International Cricket Council (ICC) and Formula 1, have been challenged to justify their sponsorship deals with state-owned Saudi Aramco following concerns that such partnerships may place them in breach of international human rights standards.
In letters sent this month, a coalition of ten human rights and climate organisations – including Human Rights Watch and Saudi organisations ALQST and ESOHR, supported by a number of professional athletes – expressed “grave concerns” that Aramco’s sponsorships risk undermining human rights law, global climate goals and the sports’ own sustainability commitments.
The letters follow a 2023 communication from the United Nations to 12 financial institutions and 5 world governments, cautioning that working with Aramco could contravene international human rights law and standards. Sent on Monday 15th September, the letters to FIFA, the ICC, Formula 1, Concacaf, Aston Martin and ASO (the organisers of the Dakar Rally) sought responses within two weeks. No responses were received.
Each sports organisation has been asked to respond to questions including whether they:
- Took, or plans to take, any action with Aramco in relation with the 2023 UN communication that raised concerns about the company undermining the Paris climate agreement.
- Have any process to review, and potentially end, their sponsorship agreement with Aramco if it is causing negative human rights or climate impacts.
Aramco is the world’s largest state-owned oil company and has a history of lobbying to delay climate action. Its latest annual report makes clear its intent to expand oil production, stating: “Aramco intends to maintain its position as the world’s largest crude oil company by production volume” and last year Aramco’s CEO said that “we should abandon the fantasy of phasing out oil and gas”.
By Fairsq
