WADA Foundation Board Announces Outcomes at November 15, 2013 Meeting
WADA Foundation Board Announces Outcomes at November 15, 2013 Meeting
WADA’s Foundation Board elected its next Chairman and Vice Chairman at this afternoon’s Foundation Board Meeting at the World Conference on Doping in Sport in Johannesburg, South Africa. Sir Craig Reedie, the IOC Vice President, was, as a representative of the sport movement, appointed WADA’s next Chair, and is set to begin his term on January 1, 2014. H.E. Mr. M.A. Stofile, a former Executive Committee and Foundation Board Member, who will represent public authorities, was appointed WADA’s Vice President.
Athlete Biological Passport: Following the new functionality added in September to the Haematological Module of the Athlete Biological Passport (ABP), the Steroidal Module has been integrated into ADAMS’ existing ABP functionality. The ABP steroidal module in ADAMS will greatly enhance the effectiveness of testing programs that utilize ADAMS by automating the assessment of individual athlete steroid profiles.
Budget increase: Following two years of budgets being frozen, WADA’s Foundation Board confirmed that the Agency would be receiving a slight budget increase, of 1% for 2014. In addition, members will meet their travel costs, which will represent an effective budgetary saving of over US$500,000. Whilst only a marginal increase, WADA is appreciative that additional funding is to be devoted to the most pressing issue facing sport today – the fight against doping. “After two consecutive years of receiving a zero-percent increase, WADA is very appreciative that its budget has been given a slight increase, particularly given the continuing economic difficulties in many parts of the world”, said WADA President john Fahey.
Social Science Research: Following recommendations by the Education Committee, and approval by the Executive Committee, WADA’s Foundation Board confirmed social science research projects under the 2014 Social Science Research Grant Program (SSRGP). In total, 42 applications from 20 countries were received for the 2014 Social Science Research Program. The Foundation Board approved five open research projects to be used for target research in 2014. “With education and research at the heart of WADA’s mission, Social Science Research remains a crucial part of our role”, said John Fahey. “It is essential that WADA’s anti-doping education programs and initiatives be based on scientific knowledge and evidence, and that is why we must continue to prioritize this type of research”.
Rules to be matched by practice: Enhancements will be made to rules and processes to assist signatories with the implementation of more effective and intelligent anti-doping programs moving forward. WADA will then be responsible for an effective monitoring process once the Code and International Standards have been approved. The compliance and monitoring process will be approved by the Foundation Board in May 2014.
Fourth World Conference on Doping in Sport concluded one week ago in Johannesburg, South Africa, following three full days discussing and debating the future of anti-doping in sport. The World Conference – which saw participants from the sport movement, public authorities, anti-doping community, athletes, coaches and the media converge – was widely considered a resounding success. The result was a strong sense of unity from all quarters on how to tackle the most pressing issue facing sport today – doping.
Participants witnessed the ratification of the 2015 World Anti-Doping Code and four International Standards through the adoption of the Johannesburg Declaration. The election of the next WADA President and Vice President saw Sir Craig Reedie and H.E. Mr. M. A. Stofile appointed to represent the sport movement and governments respectively on the final day of the Conference. In addition, WADA’s Executive Committee met on November 12, while the Foundation Board convened for its November meeting on November 15.
All participants at the Conference were unified in working towards their common goal – the rights of the clean athlete. The event was notable for the strong levels of support for the proposed themes of the 2015 Code. Past and present athletes vocalized their commitment to stronger doping sanctions, specifically the increase from two- to four-year bans for athletes caught doping from January 1, 2015. There was also widespread recognition for the need to allow WADA to retain its independent role in anti-doping in sport.
Throughout the Conference WADA streamed plenary sessions and press conferences live on the Conference website. Clips of these sessions were made available, and can still be viewed at WADA’s YouTube Channel, WADA Movies.
Governments, Sports Adopt Resolution to Strengthen Fight against Doping in Sport: The sports movement and governments of the world renewed their joint commitment to the fight against doping in Johannesburg this morning by adopting a resolution and approving the 2015 World Anti-Doping Code (Code) and four accompanying International Standards (IS).
The World Conference endorsed the revised World Anti-Doping Code in a bid to ensure the continuation and strengthening of harmonious anti-doping programs worldwide. Ever since its initial adoption by sport and government in 2003, the Code has acted as the global framework for a consistent, standardized approach to tackling doping right across the world. In a meeting held prior to the World Conference’s adoption of the Johannesburg Declaration, WADA’s Foundation Board unanimously approved the revisions to enhance the Code, and with it helped send a strong message of intent to the world’s sporting community.
“At this, the Fourth World Conference on Doping in Sport, the adoption of the Johannesburg Declaration will be seen as a major milestone in the fight against doping in the years to come,” said WADA President John Fahey. “Through the acceptance of the Code and International Standards in South Africa this week, the anti-doping community has left its mark and demonstrated the renewed commitment that both government and the sport movement have towards putting the rights of clean athletes ahead of all others in the years ahead.
The Resolution marks the end of a two-year journey, through which the Code has been strengthened and refined following extensive input from stakeholders. The Code Review process included four rounds of consultation resulting in 4,000 proposed changes and four successive draft revisions. The process for participating in the consultations was made public and transparent via WADA’s website and communication to stakeholders. Each draft revision of the Code was published online along with the official submissions made by stakeholders in response to the drafts.
“The Code Review process alone has shown the true resolve of the anti-doping community, and its willingness to be a part of shaping the future of anti-doping in sport,” said John Fahey. The result of this process is that we now have a Code which, I believe, offers the best response to combatting the scourge of doping yet: stronger sanctions while maintaining flexibility, greater investigative powers for WADA, a stronger focus on the sharing of information between the sport movement and governments, intelligent testing and risk assessment in relation to different sports, and fair consideration of an athlete’s human rights. These particular themes will help us in our efforts in the years ahead.
“We have now put in place an excellent set of rules, and these will require excellent practice from all stakeholders to ensure we catch the cheats and make the sports world a fairer world for the vast majority, the clean athletes,” added Fahey.
The Fourth World Conference on Doping in Sport was organized by WADA with the support of Sport and Recreation South Africa (SRSA) and the City of Johannesburg (CoJ). Over 1,000 representatives of public authorities, the sport movement, the anti-doping community, athletes, observers and media convened to review the major advances that have been made in the fight against doping since WADA’s inception in 1999, and to help shape the future of anti-doping in sport.
WADA Appoints Sir Craig Reedie as its new President: The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has elected Sir Craig Reedie as its next President. At a meeting of its Foundation Board at the World Conference on Doping in Sport in Johannesburg, South Africa earlier today, WADA confirmed that Reedie would become the third President of WADA since the organization was formed in 1999, taking over from Australian John Fahey who began his term almost six years ago.
Reedie is a member of WADA’s Executive Committee and Foundation Board, and has also served as Chair of the Organization’s Finance and Administration Committee since 1999. He will begin his term by replacing John Fahey from January 1, 2014. The 72-year-old Scot, a former Chairman of the British Olympic Association (BOA) and current Vice President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), was elected by the IOC in September as the sporting movement’s preferred candidate for WADA President. “It is an honour to be asked to lead this international organization, and a challenge that I look forward to,” said Reedie.
“Much has happened over the course of the past 14 years since WADA was formed. I look forward to using the experience I have gained throughout my time in sport, and that gained during my time as the Chair of WADA’s Finance and Administration Committee, to continue to take WADA, and the anti-doping movement, forward. All my efforts have been – and will be – to defend the rights of clean athletes.”
Alongside the appointment of Reedie, WADA also announced the election of H.E. Mr. M.A. Stofile as the organization’s next Vice President. Stofile will also begin his term on January 1, 2014. The 68-year-old South African, who served on WADA’s Executive Committee and Foundation Board from 2004 – 2010, replaces Arne Ljungqvist who has served as WADA’s Vice President since 2008.
“I am delighted to have been chosen as the next Vice President of WADA”, said Stofile. “I have long been an advocate of anti-doping and clean sport, and having served on WADA’s Executive Committee and Foundation Board for six years, I have been fortunate to have seen both the organization and the movement evolve. “I look forward to this opportunity of helping WADA to continue the fight against doping in sport in the years to come.”
WADA ADAMS Whereabouts App for smartphones now available -- In its ongoing effort to support athletes and doping-free sport, WADA has launched the free ADAMS app for smartphones to more than 25,000 athletes worldwide.
The app, which is available immediately to athletes using iPhone devices at the iTunes App Store will be of particular interest to those athletes in a registered testing pool who have specific anti-doping responsibilities regarding the provision of whereabouts information to support out-of-competition testing. The app will also be available to Android users in December.
Using their smartphone, athletes can enter, check and change their whereabouts details at any time with just a few clicks. Using mobile notifications, the app also helps the athletes to remember their obligations to submit whereabouts, including the relevant deadlines to do so.
“The app provides athletes with an easy, accessible way to report their whereabouts and remain in observance of the relevant regulations, thereby demonstrating their commitment to clean sport,” said WADA Director General David Howman. “Everyone benefits from this efficient solution, and we are pleased to offer the app.”
Originally launched in 2012 by the Anti-Doping Authority of the Netherlands for their own athletes, the App represents the successful collaboration between the Anti-Doping Authority of the Netherlands, InnoSportNL, NOC*NSF and CGI, and addresses a shared need by all athletes for greater mobility in whereabouts reporting to ADAMS.
