March 5 – UEFA, alongside the Swiss government, host cities, and the Swiss Football Association, has signed a joint human rights declaration ahead of UEFA Women’s Euro 2025, vowing to create an inclusive and welcoming tournament for everyone involved.
The agreement is more than just a box-ticking exercise – it’s a pledge to uphold human rights across the board, ensuring players, coaches, officials, staff, volunteers, and fans can be part of a safe and fair competition.
Developed with UEFA’s Women’s Euro 2025 Human Rights Advisory Board, which includes civil society representatives, diversity and inclusion experts, public authorities, national associations, and former players, the declaration aligns with United Nations and Council of Europe principles. It reinforces UEFA’s push to make ethics and sustainability central to major football events rather than an afterthought.
This commitment falls under UEFA Women’s Euro 2025’s broader Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) strategy, which targets reducing environmental impact, protecting individual rights, and ensuring transparency in decision-making.
Organisers have mapped out 91 initiatives across 11 key areas, aiming to set new standards for sustainability in football.
The declaration comes at a time when FIFA has ruffled more than a few feathers with the selection of Saudi Arabia as host for the 2034 World Cup due to human rights violations in the country. Law, human rights, and Saudi activists have asked for FIFA to put pressure on the country to improve its human rights record, similar to the pressure put on Qatar when it hosted in 2022.
UEFA General Secretary Theodore Theodoridis said: “The UEFA Women’s Euro represents the pinnacle of European football. The unprecedented growth of the women’s game is driven by our strategic vision to make football the most played team sport for women and girls across the continent. We are also deeply committed to working collaboratively to promote and uphold human rights at our flagship events. Today’s declaration speaks highly of our commitment, and we are grateful to the Swiss federal government, the host cities, and the Swiss Football Association for their joint efforts.”
Swiss Federal Council and Head of the Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport, Viola Amherd, said: “With this declaration, we are committed to diversity, equal opportunities and inclusion in and through sport. UEFA Women’s EURO 2025 gives us the chance to create positive momentum far beyond the field of play.”
The President of the Swiss Football Association, Dominique Blanc, said: “Today’s signing of the Human Rights Declaration reaffirms our commitment to a responsible and sustainable future for international football. As a member association of UEFA, we recognise the importance of our social responsibility and commit ourselves to actively promoting social sustainability for this tournament as well.”
The Women’s Euro kicks off July 2 with the final to be played July 27 in Basel.
Contact the writer of this story, Harry Ewing, at moc.l1741224701labto1741224701ofdlr1741224701owedi1741224701sni@g1741224701niwe.1741224701yrrah1741224701