Companies working on construction projects in preparation for the Fifa 2022 World Cup in Qatar will be “transparently and robustly” monitored through a three-tier compliance and auditing structure, the Qatar 2022 Supreme Committee has said in a statement.

Companies will have a “contractual obligation” to comply with the law and standards set by the committee, according to the statement, released a day after human rights organisation Amnesty International issued a report that chronicled rampant abuse of migrant workers in the country.

The Supreme Committee said it valued the contribution of the report and was pleased to see Amnesty International had acknowledged “the positive steps” it was taking to ensure contractors uphold human rights standards.

“The responsibility for the welfare of workers is shared by all parties involved in the chain of contracting including the government of Qatar, the governments of sending countries, recruitment agencies and the companies that utilise them,” the statement added.

The Supreme Committee also agreed to maintain an ongoing dialogue with Amnesty International in the years leading up to the 2022 World Cup.

The report by the human rights group said migrant workers are “treated like cattle” and are often subject to non-payment of wages, harsh and dangerous working conditions, and squalid accommodation. “It is simply inexcusable, in one of the richest countries in the world, that so many migrant workers are being ruthlessly exploited, deprived of their pay and left struggling to survive,” said Salil Shetty, secretary-general of Amnesty International.