IPACS Activity update
IPACS has got off to a strong start this year with the admission of new partners and the implementation of new activities.
New partners
World Taekwondo; the NOCs of China, Denmark, and Togo; and the governments of Fiji and Tuvalu have been welcomed into the fold as IPACS partners within just a few months.
IPACS Steering Committee meeting
The first meeting of the IPACS Steering Committee in 2025 took place virtually on 2 April, with 18 participants from various IPACS partners, i.e. sports organisations, governments and intergovernmental organisations. The meeting was the first to take place since Switzerland took over as IPACS Chair for the 2025-2026 period. The Swiss representatives led the meeting from the symbolic location of Macolin in the canton of Bern.
The attendees heard reports from the different IPACS Task Forces and Working Groups, before discussing updates to the IPACS 2025 roadmap. One full session was dedicated to the prevention of competition manipulation, including a discussion on the Council of Europe’s Macolin Convention and a presentation on the work of the Olympic Movement Unit on the Prevention of the Manipulation of Competitions, highlighting potential synergies with IPACS.
The Steering Committee approved the admission of new members to the two IPACS Task Forces and agreed to reconvene for its next meeting online on 3 July. UK Sport extended an invitation for the members to attend an in-person meeting on 10 September in London’s Guildhall. Read more.
IPACS Sport Governance Benchmark & Guidelines Handbook
Two brainstorm sessions involving experts from sports organisations, governments, intergovernmental organisations, civil society and academia were organised in January and March to produce a first draft of the IPACS Sport Governance Benchmark & Guidelines Handbook, building on the outline approved by the IPACS Annual General Conference in October 2024. The handbook aims to simplify and guide the implementation of the IPACS Sport Governance Benchmark and its 50 good governance recommendations. Targeted at practitioners working in sports organisations, the handbook will be particularly helpful for those starting their good governance journey. It will also support those looking to strengthen their governance.
Meeting of Good Governance Task Force
Meanwhile, the IPACS Good Governance Task Force met on 8 April, with 40 participants from sports organisations, governments and intergovernmental organisations, as well as independent experts in attendance. The meeting provided the various stakeholders with the opportunity to present progress on good governance in their respective organisations. This included a presentation by Max Cobb, Secretary-General of the International Biathlon Union (IBU), who outlined the substantial governance measures that the IBU has implemented over the last few years. The Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF) and the Council of Europe were among the other organisations that provided updates. The Task Force also discussed the first draft of the IPACS Sport Governance Benchmark & Guidelines Handbook. Following the meeting, detailed feedback from the Task Force experts will be incorporated into the draft, with the final version due to be launched at the 2025 IPACS Annual General Conference.
New Working Group on AI and corruption in sport
A new IPACS Working Group, tasked with looking into the corruption-related risks and the anti-corruption benefits of artificial intelligence (AI) for sport, met for the first time on 3 February 2025. After initial discussions about the Working Group’s Terms of Reference, which were approved by the IPACS Annual General Conference in October 2024, the participants split into three breakout sessions to identify priorities and potential activities within the thematic areas of potential risks; potential benefits; and regulatory frameworks in relation to AI and (anti-) corruption in sport. Read more.
Coming up
IPACS will be present at the International Athletes’ Forum 2025, to be held on 11 and 12 June 2025 in Lausanne. At a dedicated booth, the global network of athlete representatives will be able to discover how they can contribute to fighting corruption in sport.
Join IPACS
Interested in becoming a partner of our multi-stakeholder initiative which brings together sports organisations, governments and intergovernmental organisations to combine efforts for the fight against corruption in sport? Contact us at to-contact-us@ipacs.sport or fill in this form.
Want to stay up-to-date with the upcoming activities of IPACS? Visit ipacs.sport for more information and check out our calendar.