Qatar failed to deliver on several key promised reforms, Human Rights Watch said today in its World Report 2019.

Among the promises not yet kept is the full repeal of the exploitative kafala (sponsorship) system, which gives employers over migrant workers.

“There is still a long way to go before migrant workers are protected from abuse and exploitation,” said Lama Fakih, deputy Middle East director at Human Rights Watch. “With the World Cup 2022 fast approaching, and as Qatar races to complete planned construction projects time, now is the time to put in place durable labor rights reforms.”

In May, Qatar joined the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, but did so with a range of formal reservations depriving women and migrant workers of some of the protections.

“If Qatar truly wants to stand out in the Gulf region as a forward thinking and rights-respecting state, it should start by delivering fully and transparently on all its promised reforms,” Fakih said.