The Council of Europe had the honor of welcoming a high-level Japanese delegation to the Palace of Europe in Strasbourg to discuss strengthening international cooperation in the fight against the manipulation of sports competitions.

The delegation was led by Mr. Takashi Yamashita, former Minister of Justice and member of the House of Representatives. It also included Mr. Asahi Kentaro, OLY, a member of the House of Councillors; Ms. Keiko Momii, Director General of the Japan Sports Agency, accompanied by her Deputy Director General, Mr. Yusuke Teragaki; as well as Mr. Hirofumi Ogawa and Mr. Takumi Kawahara, representatives of the Nippon Sport Policy Commission.

The delegation was received by Stanislas Frossard, Head of the Council of Europe’s Sports Division, and Corentin Segalen, Program Manager Fight against Sports Manipulation. This two-hour working meeting provided an opportunity to discuss the main challenges related to sports integrity as well as prospects for cooperation between Japan and the Council of Europe.

At the outset of the meeting, Mr. Yamashita expressed his hope that Japan would sign and ratify the Macolin Convention, the only legally binding international treaty dedicated to combating match-fixing in sports. Mr. Frossard noted that Japan, which actively participated in drafting the Convention between 2012 and 2014, could sign and ratify this instrument without first seeking authorization from the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe.

Secretariat representatives welcomed the commitment of Japanese experts, who are participating in the work of the Copenhagen Group as observers. Their involvement and contribution to international monitoring operations, particularly during the FIFA World Cup, were especially appreciated.

The discussions then turned to several major challenges facing Japan. In particular, participants addressed the fight against the illegal sports betting market, which is estimated to account for nearly 97% of wagers placed in the country. They also examined trends in the reports exchanged through the Copenhagen Group’s international mechanism, the number of which rose from 797 reports in 2024 to 1,137 in 2025, illustrating the strengthening of international cooperation and detection capabilities.

The meeting also provided an opportunity to discuss the practical arrangements for implementing the Macolin Convention, including the creation of a national platform, its composition, and the mechanisms for cooperation among public authorities, the sports movement, gaming regulatory authorities, and law enforcement agencies.

To illustrate the operational benefits of this cooperation, the head of the program to combat match-fixing in sports proposed that the 20th Asian Games, to be held in Aichi-Nagoya from September 19 to October 4, 2026, could benefit from international monitoring coordinated by the Group of Copenhagen. Such an operation would allow Japanese authorities to concretely assess the added value of an international information-sharing mechanism during a major sporting event held on their territory.

At the conclusion of the meeting, Mr. Frossard noted that a ceremony for the signing and ratification of the Macolin Convention is scheduled to take place during the 19th Council of Europe Conference of Ministers Responsible for Sport, to be held in Monaco on November 3 and 4, 2026, in the presence of His Serene Highness Prince Albert II of Monaco and the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Alain Berset. He expressed the hope that Japan would join, on that occasion, the community of states committed to protecting the integrity of sport at the global level.

The Sport Division of the Council of Europe welcomes the interest shown by the Japanese authorities in the Macolin Convention and looks forward to further developing this promising partnership. It thanks Mr. Shigeta Odea, Consul General and Ambassador to the Council of Europe, and his team for the well-organised meeting.