© Getty Images / Michael Svoboda
Vienna (Austria), 23 April 2021 – A new international task force was launched today, aimed at enhancing effective cooperation between law enforcement, criminal justice authorities and sport organisations. Co-chaired by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the task force has been formed under the auspices of the International Partnership Against Corruption in Sport (IPACS).
The launch brought together more than 65 registered participants from 30 governments, 6 intergovernmental organisations and 5 sport organisations.
Participants discussed the application of international anti-bribery standards and related national legislation to the activities of sport organisations, with a view to identifying good practices in this regard. Relevant networks of law enforcement agencies and criminal justice authorities were identified which could be used to further enhance effective cross-sector cooperation.
In his opening remarks, Mr. Giovanni Gallo, Chief of the Implementation Support Section, Corruption and Economic Crime Branch, Division for Treaty Affairs (UNODC), stressed that IPACS is a leading example of how multilateral cooperation can mobilise the support and expertise needed to help counter issues related to corruption in sport.
“Enhancing cooperation between law enforcement, criminal justice authorities and sport organisations, and building sustainable, innovative, and active partnerships, are essential to effectively tackling the threat posed by corruption to sport. As such the role of Task Force 4 is critical” he said.
Pâquerette Girard Zappelli, the IOC’s Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer added: “IPACS is all about cross-sector collaboration as sport organisations cannot win the fight against corruption on their own. The new task force will complement IPACS’s important work already underway in the fields of procurement, awarding of sport events and good governance principles.”
The next steps of the task force are to continue consolidating written input from all the experts on the draft Stocktaking report of International Anti-bribery standards and to also create a list mapping all the existing networks which can be beneficial for achieving the objectives of this Task Force.
Further updates will be available on the IPACS website.
