Communique from Brussels Summit
21 January 2015
The Brussels Coalition that met on FIFA reform on January 21, 2015 agreed the following.
We call on the candidates for the FIFA Presidency to agree to the establishment of a FIFA Reform Commission to be overseen by an independent international authority such as UNESCO that is led by an eminent person whose broad mandate is set out in the Charter published at newfifanow.org, that is to:
a. resolve and publish all current and outstanding corruption inquires;
b. review FIFA’s constitution, statutes, codes of practice, and operational policies and practices;
c. develop new governance arrangements including governance-related committees;
d. oversee an independent audit of FIFA’s football development programmes around the world; and
e. conduct fresh elections for an Executive Committee including a new President.
Using the Charter for FIFA Reform and the 10 Guiding Principles as the basis for discussion, we intend to:
1. Meet with the incoming President of FIFA to brief them on the steps to be taken to establish a FIFA Reform Commission.
2. Meet with sponsors, non-sponsors and broadcasters to brief them on, and progress, the establishment of a FIFA Reform Commission.
3. Conduct briefings with major international agencies and governments to progress the establishment of a FIFA Reform Commission.
4. Meet with representatives of players and fan groups to brief them on these issues.
5. Write to all football associations to outline the purpose and rationale for a new FIFA.
6. Re-convene to consider progress later in the year.
We call on FIFA at its forthcoming Congress in May to:
7. Provide appropriate protection to enable whistleblowers to come forward with evidence of corruption, safe in the knowledge that their identities will be protected as was promised them in the context of the Garcia inquiry.
8. Agree to the full publication of the Garcia report into the 2018 and 2022 World Cup bidding processes, save only for protecting the identities of witnesses not already identified but also protecting the information provided by the two witnesses who were identified by the Eckert summary report.
9. Apologise to Phaedra Almajid and Bonita Mersiades for identifying them via the Eckert summary report and for the disparaging remarks published about them, and to formally withdraw those remarks in writing.
10. Agree that, if criminal charges are proven against the Russian or Qatar bids, there be a re-run of the process to award those tournament hosting rights, with any other bidder also with criminal charges proved against them, excluded from a re-vote.
11. Agree to publish the minutes of all meetings of FIFA committees online.
12. Agree that all FIFA committee meetings should be available to the global football community through live streaming.
13. Agree to an audit of FIFA’s football development programmes around the world to be conducted by an internationally recognised independent authority.
14. Agree to the publication of the full remuneration and benefits of FIFA executives and members of its Executive Committee past and present, including any superannuation funds or other assets, from their work for the organisation as well as the executive management team.
15. Publication of the pecuniary interests of members of the Executive Committee, the executive management team, the chair and members of all FIFA committees.
The Brussels Coalition that met on FIFA reform on January 21, 2015 agreed the following.
We call on the candidates for the FIFA Presidency to agree to the establishment of a FIFA Reform Commission to be overseen by an independent international authority such as UNESCO that is led by an eminent person whose broad mandate is set out in the Charter published at newfifanow.org, that is to:
a. resolve and publish all current and outstanding corruption inquires;
b. review FIFA’s constitution, statutes, codes of practice, and operational policies and practices;
c. develop new governance arrangements including governance-related committees;
d. oversee an independent audit of FIFA’s football development programmes around the world; and
e. conduct fresh elections for an Executive Committee including a new President.
Using the Charter for FIFA Reform and the 10 Guiding Principles as the basis for discussion, we intend to:
1. Meet with the incoming President of FIFA to brief them on the steps to be taken to establish a FIFA Reform Commission.
2. Meet with sponsors, non-sponsors and broadcasters to brief them on, and progress, the establishment of a FIFA Reform Commission.
3. Conduct briefings with major international agencies and governments to progress the establishment of a FIFA Reform Commission.
4. Meet with representatives of players and fan groups to brief them on these issues.
5. Write to all football associations to outline the purpose and rationale for a new FIFA.
6. Re-convene to consider progress later in the year.
We call on FIFA at its forthcoming Congress in May to:
7. Provide appropriate protection to enable whistleblowers to come forward with evidence of corruption, safe in the knowledge that their identities will be protected as was promised them in the context of the Garcia inquiry.
8. Agree to the full publication of the Garcia report into the 2018 and 2022 World Cup bidding processes, save only for protecting the identities of witnesses not already identified but also protecting the information provided by the two witnesses who were identified by the Eckert summary report.
9. Apologise to Phaedra Almajid and Bonita Mersiades for identifying them via the Eckert summary report and for the disparaging remarks published about them, and to formally withdraw those remarks in writing.
10. Agree that, if criminal charges are proven against the Russian or Qatar bids, there be a re-run of the process to award those tournament hosting rights, with any other bidder also with criminal charges proved against them, excluded from a re-vote.
11. Agree to publish the minutes of all meetings of FIFA committees online.
12. Agree that all FIFA committee meetings should be available to the global football community through live streaming.
13. Agree to an audit of FIFA’s football development programmes around the world to be conducted by an internationally recognised independent authority.
14. Agree to the publication of the full remuneration and benefits of FIFA executives and members of its Executive Committee past and present, including any superannuation funds or other assets, from their work for the organisation as well as the executive management team.
15. Publication of the pecuniary interests of members of the Executive Committee, the executive management team, the chair and members of all FIFA committees.