Qatar and FIFA today published  the first jointly issued legacy planning strategy ahead of the football World Cup in 2022. FIFA and the Qatari Supreme Committee organisers said in a statement in Doha that it contains pledges on labour and LGBT rights alongside protections for activists and journalists.

It said a total of 22 objectives have been described in detail, together with more than 70 concrete initiatives and programmes to deliver the strategy.The 112-page "Sustainability Strategy" also sets out commitments on making the tournament inclusive for groups including the disabled.

It  provides for  boosting economic development, protecting the environment and promoting ethical business practices. On workers' rights, the document said Qatar would promote "decent working and living conditions and fair recruitment, including effective access" to remedial measures.

Qatar has faced intense scrutiny from rights groups over its treatment of migrant labourers working on construction projects as well as its laws criminalising homosexual acts.