Q&A: UW professor lends human rights expertise to FIFA, 2026 World Cup

UW law professor Anita Ramasastry is advising FIFA and Seattle on human rights preparations for the 2026 World Cup. Ramasastry, an expert in business and human rights, drafted Seattle’s human rights action plan and chairs FIFA’s human rights expert advisory group. Key issues being addressed include human trafficking, rights of unhoused people, immigrant protections, workers’ rights, and peaceful assembly rights. This marks the first World Cup requiring human rights components in host city bids, following criticism of the 2022 Qatar tournament.