The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) new compliance standard and code revisions will enter into force, effective today 1 April 2018.
The new International Standard for Code Compliance by Signatories (ISCCS); and The 2015 World Anti-Doping Code (Code), which incorporates the 2018 amendments to articles related to Code Compliance that the ISCCS necessitates.
The ISCCS, which was adopted by WADA’s Executive Committee in November 2017, will reinforce the Agency’s Code Compliance Monitoring Programme.
It was refined via a two-phase stakeholder consultation process that ran from 1 June to 14 October 2017 and was overseen by WADA’s independent Compliance Review Committee (CRC); during which, stakeholders were asked to comment on development of the ISCCS that outlines:
- Code Signatories’ rights and responsibilities;
- the ways WADA supports Signatories in achieving, maintaining and, where applicable, regaining Code compliance; and
- a range of graded, predictable and proportionate sanctions for cases of non-compliance by Signatories; and, a process for determining non-compliance and consequences.
Once again, WADA thanks all stakeholders who submitted feedback during the consultation process. We believe that, together, we have developed a Standard that holds Signatories worldwide to the same high standards under the Code as is expected of athletes.
It should be noted that, under the revised Code, the following articles apply to those Signatories that are declared non-compliant with the Code on or after 1 April 2018 under the ISCCS:
- Under article 20.3.11, which relates to Roles and Responsibilities of IFs, the revised Code stipulates ‘To accept bids for World Championships and other International Events only from countries where the government has ratified, accepted, approved or acceded to the UNESCO Convention and the National Olympic Committee and National Anti-Doping Organization are in compliance with the Code.’
- Under article 20.6.6, which relates to Roles and Responsibilities of MEOs, the revised Code stipulates ‘To accept bids for Events only from countries where the government has ratified, accepted, approved or acceded to the UNESCO Convention and the National Olympic Committee and National Anti-Doping Organization are in compliance with the Code.’
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Meet The Authors
Yomog Meje is a former Nigerian junior athlete and the Associate editor at Athletics Africa.
