HRH Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein publishes revised FIFA Presidency Manifesto
New pledges added in collaboration with KNVB President Michael Van Praag
Amsterdam; 21st May 2015: HRH Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein, President of the Jordan Football Association and Vice-President of FIFA, has today published a revised version of his Manifesto to reform football’s world governing body.
The campaign Manifesto, entitled ‘A FIFA Worthy of the World’s Game’, details specific pledges to transform FIFA into a service organisation that is a model of good governance and ethical conduct.
All of the Manifesto’s original commitments remain, but a number of new pledges have been added following the withdrawal from the FIFA Presidential race of fellow candidate, KNVB President Michael Van Praag.
The text of the full statement which Prince Ali made at a Press Conference with Mr. Van Praag this evening can be found below in full:
Prince Ali Press Conference Statement for 21.05.2015
Allow me to begin by saying what an extraordinary honour it is to be here today standing next to President Michael Van Praag… a colleague who I have long admired, and a man who has my utmost respect and admiration.
I am deeply honoured by Mr. Van Praag’s endorsement of my candidacy and by the faith and trust that have been invested in me both by Mr Van Praag and by members of the Football and FIFA families across the world. His decision to withdraw from the FIFA Presidential race has been taken in the name of the future of Football and of FIFA.
But his decision to stand, and the ideas and value that he has brought to this race is immeasurable. He has run a positive campaign focussed on the future of our sport, and he has brought to the table a number of excellent ideas for ways in which FIFA and Football should be improved.
Mr. Van Praag and I share much common ground in our goals for FIFA.
As President Van Praag already mentioned to you we worked together to incorporate some of his policy proposals into my Manifesto such that these important ideas were not lost to FIFA.
I will be sending a revised copy of “our” Manifesto to all National Association Presidents immediately after this press conference. The new pledges some of which Michael already mentioned are:
• A pledge to increase annual FAP payments to National Associations to $1,000,000 per year, to be annually dispersed on January 1st every year. The funding means a huge amount to Development for most parts of the world, but the timing is also important, the fact that it is an amount given in an institutional manner, and not linked in any way to politics. Michael and I believe that this amount is a starting point, but we hope that it would be increased after review of the FIFA finances, and it would also be separate and distinct from the “tailor made” development packages that are also promised to the FA’s.
• We have also both agreed that it is imperative that there is a pledge to table a proposal for a formal term limit of a maximum of two four year terms for FIFA Presidents to be written into the FIFA Statutes.
• A proposal to create a new “President’s Board”, to be comprised of the Presidents of each FIFA Confederation.
• A pledge to publish the Garcia Report in full as soon as possible.
• A commitment to developing a programme that combats discrimination in all its forms, predicated on education programmes and leadership by example.
• A commitment to develop a global tournament standard to ensure the safe delivery of FIFA events, with workers’ rights and fair working conditions safeguarded, as well as to ensure that an assessment on labour rights and other fundamental human rights is included in the future bidding procedures for World Cups.
• A commitment to extend the number of countries participating in the World Cup from 32 to 36 teams as soon as possible, with a view to further, development-led expansion to be considered thereafter. I am committed to exploring all options to enable this expansion urgently, ideally in time for the 2018 World Cup. The proposal which I am committed to and which I will put to the FIFA Executive Committee for approval if elected is as follows:
- Increase in AFC World Cup Slot Allocation from 4.5 slots to 5.5 slots
- Increase in CAF World Cup Slot Allocation from 5 slots to 6 slots
- Increase in CONCACAF World Cup Slot Allocation from 3.5 slots to 4.5 slots
- Increase in CONMEBOL World Cup Slot Allocation from 4.5 slots to 5 slots
- Increase in OFC World Cup Slot Allocation from 0.5 slots to 1 slot
- UEFA World Cup Slot Allocation of 13 slots (+1 additional slot for the host country in 2018)
Ladies and Gentleman, these are the brilliant ideas President Van Praag has shared with me, and they are pledges that I believe greatly strengthen the commitments that I had already made to Member Associations, and I am grateful to him for sharing his ideas with me and offering a brighter future to the FIFA family.
I would also like to take the opportunity to thank our colleague Luis Figo. He has always been a very important part of the football family for many years, he is a star who has been an incredible inspiration to many both on and off the field. He has also made an incredible contribution to the debate we have all engaged in, and we are truly grateful to him.
Once again it’s an honour to be here, and I thank you President Van Praag, I look forward to the campaign with you, and hopefully beyond that the future as well.
Thank you.
Prince Ali’s updated Manifesto is attached to this email and can also be read here: www.worldsgame.com
-ENDS-
For further information:
Email: media@worldsgame.com
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Note to Editors:
Please also find attached to this press release:
Three low-res images of Prince Ali which can be used for editorial publication. Please get in touch should you require high-res versions.
FIFA National Associations will vote to decide the President of FIFA at the 2015 FIFA Congress on May 29th in Zurich, Switzerland.
Prince Ali Biography:
Throughout his 16 years in various leadership positions in Football, Prince Ali has been a consistent advocate for development and good governance. At age 39, he is the youngest FIFA Vice-President and the youngest member of the FIFA Executive Committee.
As President of the Jordan Football Association since 1999, Prince Ali has worked to promote unity and develop the sport throughout the region. He founded the West Asian Football Federation in 2000 and launched the Asian Football Development Project in 2012. The non-profit development project aims to develop Football across Asia with a focus on youth development, empowering women, social responsibility and the protection and evolution of the game.
Prince Ali was elected FIFA Vice-President for Asia in 2011. He is also a member of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). He serves as Chairman of the Fair Play and Social Responsibility Committee and Deputy Chairman of the Football Committee at FIFA, as well as Chairman of the Social Responsibility Committee and Deputy Chairman of the Development Committee at AFC.
Prince Ali, the son of the late King Hussein and Queen Alia of Jordan, was educated in Jordan, the UK and the U.S., and served in the Jordanian Special Forces. He and his wife, Princess Rym, the daughter of a veteran UN and Algerian diplomat, have two children.
Preview attachment Prince Ali 2 – Low Res.jpg
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Preview attachment Updated Manifesto – May 2015.pdf
Preview attachment Prince Ali Publishes Revised Manifesto Press Release FINAL.pdf
