The Fare network and the Russian Center for Interethnic Co-operation will host a conference on the impact of the FIFA World Cup 2018 on ethnic minorities and other minority groups in Russia on Thursday (30 November). The Moscow event will take place ahead of the World Cup Finals draw taking place the following day.

Russia has a vast ethnic diversity, the largest country in the world has territories that encompass citizens from many of the worlds religions and ethnic groupings. However concerns remain at the number of incidents of discrimination in football and the activity of far-right football supporters that raise questions of the safety of ethnic minority and LGBT+ fans over coming to Russia for the World Cup and those already within Russia.

The event will address questions on the current situation of inter-ethnic relations in World Cup host cities and whether the tournament can be used to improve these. Discussions will also look at the legacy of the tournament for ethnic and other minority communities.

The Russian FA anti-discrimination inspector and former Chelsea, Fulham and Bordeaux midfielder Alexey Smertin will be joined by representatives of ethnic minority communities from across the 11 host cities, public officials, activists and campaigners.

Speakers will include Alexander Agapov of the Russian LGBT Sports Federation, Tatyana Potyaeva, Commissioner for Human Rights in the city of Moscow, Shirvan Kerimov, Azerbaijani League of Samara oblast, Farukh Mirzoev, Association of ethnic NGOs of Sverdlovsk oblast, Yael Ioffe, Council of the Volgograd Jewish Community Centre, Sagit Dzhasksybiev, Assembly of Tatarstan peoples, Elena Popova, Centre for Access to Football (CAFE), and Alla Filina, GirlPower Football School.

The conference will be held at the Holiday Inn Tagansky in Simonovsky Val central Moscow from 9am.

Registration form Russian: http://www.emailmeform.com/builder/form/Kyhbc0siRe

Registration form English: http://www.emailmeform.com/builder/form/azeft2s3kebDbbhf68RL6EOS0