Ethics Committee to play a central role in overseeing bidding procedure for the 2018 FIFA World Cup

The FIFA Ethics Committee, chaired by Lord Sebastian Coe, is to play a central role with respect to the bidding procedure for the 2018 FIFA World Cup™.

In order to achieve this objective, the independent judicial body agreed at its plenary meeting at the Home of FIFA today, 18 December 2007, to broaden its remit. In future, in addition to the member associations, the confederations and the Executive Committee, the chairman and the deputy chairman of the Ethics Committee will, at their discretion, also have the ability to seek clarification on issues brought to them through channels and avenues other than those stipulated in the FIFA Code of Ethics.

Chairman Coe welcomed this expansion of the committee's remit: "Having reported back to the committee on the exchange of correspondence and discussions I had in the summer with the FIFA administration, I have now received endorsement to strengthen the role of the committee. Our body is clearly positioned alongside the other judicial bodies of FIFA and will enjoy independence and support, benefiting from budgetary means, administrative and secretarial assistance as well being able to seek legal advice where deemed necessary."

With respect to the 2018 FIFA World Cup, the Ethics Committee agreed that as a whole it should have a pivotal function in overseeing the bidding for FIFA's flagship competition. As FIFA will be developing the protocol for the bidding, the chairman of the Ethics Committee has been asked to define the relevant principles to oversee this procedure and will include members of this body to perform the task. In the case of issues arising on a particular bid, Ethics Committee members of that country may step aside so as to avoid conflicts of interest.

Dealing with the irregularities that occurred in the selection of Kenyan referees and assistant referees for the 2007 FIFA List of International Referees, the committee did find a case to answer for and ascertained its jurisdiction. A decision was taken, which after having been notified to the involved parties, will be made public in due course.