Stakeholder updates
During these last months, several stakeholders have continued to undertake a number of important initiatives in the field of governance and the protection of sport integrity. Here is a quick overview:
Conclusion of POINTS project
Launched in 2018 and managed by the EOC EU Office, the Single Points of Contact for Sports Integrity (POINTS) project recently concluded with its online final conference held on 31 May.
Co-funded by the European Commission through the Erasmus+ Sport Programme, the aim of the project was to help National Olympics Committees (NOCs) and European and National Federations to strengthen their governance and safeguard the integrity of their sport(s).
The Olympic Movement Unit on the Prevention of the Manipulation of Competitions (OM Unit PMC) officially supported the project, and especially the efforts to establish single points of contacts on sports integrity (SPOCS) in the participating NOCs and federations.
During the final conference, Pâquerette Girard-Zappelli, the IOC’s Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer, delivered a keynote speech on the importance of integrity for the Olympic Movement. She highlighted the value of a coordinated approach by sports organisations in this field, with the tools developed through POINTS being very helpful in this regard.
Prior to this final event of the project, the OM Unit PMC took part in two related webinars in May: one in Denmark to explain the role of NOC SPOCs within a national cooperation framework, and the other organised by the European Volleyball Federation. The latter brought together more than 60 coaches and technical officials representing different National Federations to brief them about their role and obligations in preventing competition manipulation. Learn more here.
OCA mobilises its NOCs
The Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) is in the process of adopting its rules and intensifying its efforts to fight competition manipulation. As part of these efforts, the OCA recently set up a special department under the OCA Athletes’ Committee to focus on the prevention of competition manipulation. In addition, the OCA has also urged its member NOCs to step up their action in this field, e.g. by establishing dedicated units within their organisation, adopting the relevant rules and appointing ambassadors for awareness-raising activities. Read more here.
FIFA conducts Global Integrity Programme
In April and May, the International Football Federation (FIFA) conducted its Global Integrity Programme forCONMEBOL, the South American Football Confederation. The programme, developed in collaboration with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), is aimed at providing Integrity Officers within FIFA’s member associations all over the world with an in-depth understanding of the scourge of match manipulation and measures to tackle it effectively. The OM Unit PMC took part in this second edition, following its contribution to the sessions for the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) earlier this year. This time, it delivered a complete training module on the topics of competition manipulation and corruption in sport. Other expert speakers included representatives from the UNODC, INTERPOL and the Council of Europe. The programme will be implemented for all other regional confederations throughout 2021 and 2022. Click here to learn more.