THE OFFICIAL HOME OF THE FIFA WORLD CUP 26 HOUSTON™
HUMAN RIGHTS
Houston is committed to hosting a World Cup that upholds and advances human rights for every worker, fan, and community member. Our Human Rights Action Plan, developed with over 100 stakeholders, reflects this city's values and its responsibility on a global stage.
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ACTION PLAN
Version 1 of the Human Rights Action Plan was published on February 16, 2026, in alignment with FIFA's Human Rights Framework. The Final Human Rights Action Plan is now available below, along with a brief overview of key mitigations.
The majority of targeted actions have been successfully completed (107 of 118), while 1 remains ongoing. In some cases, certain actions were determined to no longer be necessary (10). In the interest of transparency and accountability, for full details and current status of each action, see the tracker below.
HIGHLIGHTS
From on-site accommodations at the FIFA Fan Festival to broader worker and community protections, here is an overview of what we have put in place.
Responsible Contracting Policy
Multi-Faith Prayer Rooms
Sensory Accommodations
Human Trafficking Support
Worker Support Hub & Grievance Process
Nursing Rooms
Accessibility Integrations
Learn more about each of these initiatives and access toolkits, trainings, and other resources below.
MAKE THE RIGHT CALL - PUBLIC SAFETY CAMPAIGN
Make the Right Call is a public safety awareness campaign developed in partnership with Love146, raising awareness around worker rights, personal safety, talent recruitment scams, harassment prevention, and gender-based violence throughout the World Cup.
We invite organizations, businesses, and community partners to help spread the word. Follow us on Instagram, X (Twitter), and Facebook at @fwc26houston and on LinkedIn at FIFA World Cup 26™ Houston, and share our campaign graphics with your networks.
Want to share the campaign graphics directly on your own channels? Request the full toolkit below, including all graphics and captions.
TRAININGS - HUMAN TRAFFICKING AND ACCESSIBILITY
The Host Committee has developed World Cup–specific trainings on human trafficking and accessibility for key sectors and groups, including transportation, volunteers, and the hospitality industry. The human trafficking training was developed in partnership with A21, and both trainings were recorded by Inspire.
Both trainings are available in English, run approximately 35 minutes, and can be accessed in SCORM 1.2 or MP4 format for use in Learning Management Systems or standalone viewing. These trainings have been distributed to partner agencies and are encouraged for broad community use.
To support download tracking, please complete the short form below to access the trainings.
WORKER SAFEGUARDS AND SUPPORT
The Host Committee has automated its Responsible Contracting Policy to strengthen worker protections and proactively address the risks of labor exploitation and human trafficking within our supply chain. Potential suppliers that register for the Buy Houston-By Houston program are required to sign a Code of Conduct. Suppliers that choose to submit a response to a Request for Proposal (RFP) are also required to complete additional human rights documentation.
To further support these protections, the Host Committee has established a dedicated Worker Support Hub. This space provides workers with a confidential place to raise concerns and file grievances, and offers access to resources including upskilling opportunities.
ACCESSIBILITY
The FIFA Fan Festival has been designed as a fully accessible event, incorporating more than 20 accessibility integrations identified and summarized in the Human Rights Action Plan.
In response to stakeholder requests, the Host Committee completed an assessment of rideshare accessibility options. Both Uber and Lyft offer wheelchair-accessible ride options, accommodate mobility devices, and maintain clear policies permitting service animals. Uber is introducing additional features aimed at reducing discrimination against riders with visual impairments, while Lyft supports screen readers and offers assisted ride services.
A list of accessible attractions and businesses in the Houston area is available below. This is provided for informational purposes only, and we encourage users to verify information before visiting.
PEACEFUL DEMONSTRATION
We have developed a Peaceful Demonstration Toolkit to help demonstrators understand the scope of constitutionally protected free speech, with particular emphasis on time, place, and manner restrictions. The goal of these toolkits is to support lawful expression and encourage peaceful demonstrations.
This toolkit has been reviewed by government officials and law enforcement representatives. We hope that it serves as a resource for individuals planning to participate in a demonstration. While every effort has been made to ensure accuracy, information may change over time; users are encouraged to verify details with the appropriate authorities. This toolkit is provided for informational purposes only and should not be interpreted as legal advice.
FAIR HOUSING
The Fair Housing Toolkit provides general information about the fair housing complaint process in the City of Houston. The toolkit was reviewed by multiple government officials and is intended to serve as an informational resource.
While care has been taken to ensure accuracy, information may change over time — users are encouraged to verify current requirements with the appropriate authorities. This material is provided for general informational purposes only and should not be interpreted as legal advice.
Please note that Fair Housing laws do not govern short-term rentals.
A copy of the toolkit is available below.
For more information on the history of stakeholder engagement and the development of human rights action plan, continue reading below.
For press inquiries, please contact Cgomez@fwc26houston.com
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Between 2019 and 2022, the Houston 2026 World Cup Bid Human Rights Sub-Committee engaged over 100 stakeholders to address key human rights issues identified by FIFA. The resulting Human Rights Plan was submitted as part of the bid, alongside other technical components. ​
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Two years later, FIFA World Cup 26™ released its Human Rights Framework in July 2024. Unlike the original bid-phase requirements, the new Framework instructed Host Committees to examine human rights violations in three specific areas:
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1. Inclusion and Safeguarding – Inclusion and non-discrimination, safeguarding, human trafficking, gender equity, gender-based violence, freedom of assembly, expression and press, accessibility, and security and policing​​
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2. Workers’ Rights – Fair wages, child labor, non-discrimination, inclusive hiring protocols, grievances and access to remedy, forced labor and labor trafficking, poor working conditions, occupational, health and safety, freedom of association and collective bargaining, rest and reasonable limitation of working hours, preventing and addressing harassment and abuse at work, responsible contracting and transparent dealings.
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3. Access to Remedy – ensuring that anyone that may have experienced a human rights violation linked to hosting in Houston has access to remedy in addition to workers.
BID TO HOST CITY DESIGNATION
To develop the plan during the bid phase, Stakeholders were asked to complete a pre-meeting survey to capture their individual expertise on risks associated with hosting the FIFA World Cup 2026™. They ranked risks by priority level and linked them to activities associated with hosting, such as preparing public venues.
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During a subsequent meeting organized by the FIFA World Cup 26 Houston™ Human Rights Sub-Committee involving stakeholders and facilitators, identified risks were further prioritized, with the most critical advancing to the next phase to identify mitigation opportunities.
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Stakeholders were then tasked with developing opportunities to address the prioritized risks in another pre-meeting survey and subsequent meeting, which led to the creation of a final list of opportunities and activities that served as the basis of the 200-page Human Rights Plan submitted during the bid process. ​
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In addition to this process, FIFA World Cup 26 Houston™ consulted with numerous other agencies with a national and international reach to further inform the plan.
ALIGNING THE 2021 BID PLAN SUBMISSION TO THE NEW FIFA WORLD CUP 26™ FRAMEWORK AFTER HOST CITY DESIGNATION
The now Houston Host Committee (HCC) crossed the bid plan submission from 2021 with the new Framework to align the input from the bid plan with the new expectations FIFA World Cup 26™ set. The results of the cross are as follows:
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1. There were 37 opportunities to mitigate potential harms for what now falls under Safeguarding and Inclusion.
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2. There were 31 opportunities to mitigate potential harms for what now falls under Workers’ Rights.
3. There were 5 ideas on Access to Remedy.
HUMAN RIGHTS ACTION PLAN FEEDBACK AND NEXT STEPS
Once the FIFA World Cup 26™ Human Rights Framework was released, we did the cross, and we created a new draft Human Rights Action Plan that was released for public feedback on April 8, 2025. The feedback period closed on April 30, 2025, during which 8 points of input were submitted by 2 stakeholders. The final Human Rights Action Plan was published February 16, 2026.​​​​​
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If you have questions, concerns, or comments, please email our Chief Legacy Officer: Minal Davis at mdavis@fwc26houston.com.