Check against delivery Speech by Bjørn Berge, Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe

Dear Anders, dear Rune,

Dear friends,

Thank you to Anti-Doping Norway for bringing us together here in Bergen around a shared commitment:

To strengthen national anti-doping systems through deeper European cooperation and a stronger foundation for clean sport.

I would also like to acknowledge State Secretary Erling Hanstveit, who will join us shortly, and all our distinguished speakers today — and especially Witold Bańka, President of the World Anti-Doping Agency, whom I warmly congratulate on his recent re-election.

Your leadership will be crucial as we move through a time of change, challenge, and — we hope — growing unity in global anti-doping.

***

“It’s okay to dare to dream.”
Those words come from Kristian Blummenfelt — one of Bergen’s own, and one of the greatest triathlon athletes the world has ever seen.

To dream, like he did, is to rise before dawn, swim up to 45 kilometres a week, cycle nearly 400, run over 120 — and do it again the next week.

***

Triathlon is about perseverance.

It is about the long game.

The unseen work.

The daily commitment to doing things the right way — even when it would be easier not to.

In that way, anti-doping is also a kind of triathlon.
A test of endurance.
A test of values.
And a test of whether we — as institutions and as individuals — are willing to go the distance.

Because clean sport is not a slogan.
It is a human right.
It is a public good.
And it is our shared responsibility.

***

Last year, we marked the 35th anniversary of the Council of Europe’s Anti-Doping Convention — a treaty that pre-dates WADA, the UNESCO Convention, and even the term “World Anti-Doping Code.”

It remains the only legally binding international instrument on anti-doping, and one that has inspired global frameworks to follow.

With 52 States Parties, its reach extends far beyond Europe.

And its Monitoring Group — the T-DO — has kept it alive and responsive, with over 50 evaluation visits since 1998, beginning right here in Norway.

These visits have not only improved national systems, but created a culture of constructive, expert-led peer review that has set an example beyond Europe.

***

This event, rightly, puts the focus on the National Anti-Doping Organisations — the NADOs.

You are the backbone of the anti-doping system.

You are the regulators, educators, investigators, enforcers — all in one.

You are the ones who answer the phone when the lab report is bad, when the press is calling, or when a star athlete gets a lawyer.

You are often asked to defend decisions you did not take — and manage consequences you did not create.

Yet you do it — every day — to protect the integrity of sport and the health of athletes.

NADOs are also trusted partners to governments, to police, customs, healthcare, and education sectors.

You are often the first to detect new doping trends and the only ones who can act swiftly.

Your function is operational, yes — but your impact is moral and systemic.

***

This year, we also welcomed the return of the World Anti-Doping Agency to full participation in CAHAMA — the Council of Europe’s ad hoc committee on WADA affairs.

This return has been deeply appreciated.

We are delighted to have President Witold Bańka and Director-General Olivier Niggli with us today.

Your presence is a strong signal of WADA’s commitment to working with Europe’s NADOs, and of our shared resolve to maintain a robust, fair, and globally trusted system.

Dear friends, let us be honest:

There have been differences in tone and approach in recent years — especially in response to high-profile cases and questions of governance.

But we should not confuse vigorous debate with division.

Debate among allies is a sign of care, not conflict.

The Council of Europe has always believed that stronger institutions come from transparency, participation, and independent monitoring.

These are the same principles that define a healthy anti-doping system.

***

We must also face reality.

Some NADOs have suffered the consequences of non-compliance rulings based on factors outside their control.

Others have been drawn into geopolitical disputes that put them in impossible situations — between their government, their sporting federations, and international agencies.

Frequently, you must navigate a complex web of ministries, public authorities, and sports bodies — and you do so with professionalism and persistence.

The system must evolve to provide better protection for those who implement, rather than those who undermine, the rules.

This is why today’s event matters so much.

It is not only about finding common positions — it is about sharing wisdom, pooling experience, and identifying practical support mechanisms for NADOs under pressure.

***

As we look ahead to the next revision of the World Anti-Doping Code in 2027, we must ensure that the code continues to reflect not only sporting standards, but democratic values.

The Council of Europe’s recent Recommendation on Fair Procedures in Anti-Doping is a model of what that looks like in practice:

Balancing athlete rights with procedural rigour and NADO authority.

This is how we build trust. This is how we build resilience.

And this is how we honour the principle that clean sport is a human right — one that every child, every coach, every federation can believe in.

***

Dear friends, dear colleagues,

Europe was at the table when WADA was born.

We helped set the foundations for what has become a global system.

And today, we remain deeply committed to ensuring it works — for athletes, for sport, and for society.

Together, European NADOs hold tremendous collective influence — more than any one country or agency acting alone.

Our coordination mechanisms through the Council of Europe are the envy of many other regions in the global anti-doping system.

***

Let us use this strength, not just to defend our principles, but to advance them.

Let us commit — today — to speak honestly, act boldly, and support each other fully.

Because in a time of global uncertainty, clean sport remains one of the few things that can unite, inspire, and give hope.

Like the triathlete – like Blummenfelt- who rises before dawn and goes the distance, we too must stay the course – even when it’s hard, especially when it is hard.

Let us keep it that way.

Thank you.