More than 500 representatives of national governments, anti-doping organisations and permanent delegations to UNESCO have gathered in Paris for the Conference of the parties to the international convention against doping in sport (COP10).
Marking the 20th anniversary of the International Convention against Doping in Sport, participants took stock of two decades of progress in global efforts to safeguard sport values, ethics and the health of athletes. Participants also discussed the Convention’s governance and compliance, as well as addressing emerging challenges in sport integrity.
Representing the Council of Europe, Deputy Secretary General Bjørn Berge delivered a keynote address at the opening of the meeting. His intervention illustrated the history of both the UNESCO Convention and the Council of Europe’s Convention on Anti-Doping as the only two international treaties that provide a binding legal framework for states to tackle doping in sport. In addition, he highlighted the Council of Europe’s collaboration with national anti-doping organisations and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) to ensure that the World Anti-doping Code reflects sporting standards of fairness and democratic values.
He also spoke of the Revised Sport Integrity Guidelines, which are to be adopted at the Conference of the Parties. Developed in close cooperation between UNESCO and the Council of Europe, the Guidelines are intended to advance a variety of sports integrity issues, such as harassment and abuse in sport, corruption, and match fixing.
In his address to the Conference, the Deputy Secretary General said, “Today we have come together to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the UNESCO Convention. We very much share the same goals, and we seek to create a robust and comprehensive approach in co-operation with national anti-doping institutions (NADOs) being our first line of defence, together with the important work of WADA.”
The outcomes of COP10 will play a key role in shaping the future trajectory of global sport integrity governance, reinforcing international cooperation, peace and sustainable development. The Convention’s ongoing reform process is aiming at enhancing its impact, sustainability, governance and effectiveness.
Opening remarks were delivered by UNESCO’s Assistant Director-General for Social and Human Sciences a.i., Lidia Brito.
Speech by Deputy Secretary General Bjørn Berge
Council of Europe Anti-Doping Convention
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
