FIFA and WHO marked International Human Rights Day with anti-discrimination message

On the International Human Rights Day (December 10), the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), and the World Health Organisation (WHO) both talked about how discrimination has no place in football or in society. One of the most common human rights violations and abuses is discrimination in all its forms.

FIFA reforms have prioritised anti-discrimination since 2016. FIFA established a monitoring system and a zero-tolerance policy for racism and discrimination in 2019. FIFA's #NoDiscrimination campaign includes an innovative monitoring and moderation service to keep players safe from mean, racist, or threatening comments on social media.

The service helps players avoid social media abuse so they can focus on playing. During the tournament's group stage, the service automatically and instantly hid more than 100,000 abusive and offensive comments, and more than 6,000 posts were reported directly to social media companies for further action. This shows that online abuse is still a serious problem for football players and society, affecting mental health and well-being.