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- Zatsiorsky
- Kelso
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WADA Steps Up Investigative Front
Recognizing the limitations of doping controls, the WADA is stepping up the investigative front to combat doping in sports. At their annual May Executive and Foundation Board meetings last weekend, the organization announced efforts to form partnerships with national and international governments and law enforcement agencies, including the Australian Government and Interpol.
WADA President John Fahey, "Our investigations strategy, launched by WADA in 2006, is based on the recognition that doping controls do not catch all cheaters and that evidence gathered by enforcement agencies and others, shared in a legally appropriate manner with anti-doping and sport authorities helps to uncover anti-doping rule violations that might otherwise escape detection."
From the meetings:
Governments’ active engagement in anti-doping was highlighted during the meetings: “Public authorities are embracing the critical responsibilities they have to combat doping through their contributions and participation in WADA, and many other activities at the national level,” said Fahey, himself a representative of governments in the joint sport-government partnership that is WADA. “Governments recognize that elite athletes are not the only victims of the detrimental effects of doping and that the tentacles of doping have infiltrated youth culture and broader society around the world. It is an issue of greater public health that must be confronted.”
As of May 10, 2008, governments have fulfilled more than 87 percent of 2008 contributions, which is in line with the rate of contribution in 2007 and 10 percent above the contributions received by the same date in 2006. The International Olympic Committee (IOC), on behalf of the Sports Movement, matches government contributions dollar-for-dollar.
A joint research project with UNESCO was announced for the collection of legislation in countries around the world which outlaw the manufacture, distribution and possession of performance enhancing substances. “Inconsistency exists among countries in the treatment of the production, use and distribution of doping substances, which confounds international efforts to curtail the dissemination of these substances—substances that have been banned by the international community as part of the Prohibited List,” continued Fahey. “The joint project with UNESCO will help us gain a better understanding of the current landscape so that those countries lacking adequate enforcement mechanisms can be encouraged to update their laws.”
Under the UNESCO International Convention against Doping in Sport—unanimously approved by the 191 members of the UNESCO General Assembly in October 2005 and to date ratified by 83 individual countries—governments must ensure that laws against the manufacture and distribution of doping substances are in place, the penalties for breaking these laws are sufficiently stringent and that the laws are enforced as such.
In a related matter, the WADA Executive Committee approved a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to be signed with Interpol, the world’s largest police organization, for the two organizations to work together in combating the trafficking of performance-enhancing drugs. The MOU will now be delivered to Interpol to be approved by its executive bodies.
