WADA Board Elects Jean-François Lamour as 2007 WADA Vice President

Agency Stresses the Need to Coordinate Sport and Government Collaboration to Enable Sport to Deal with Cheating on a Timely Basis

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) today unanimously elected Jean-François Lamour, French Minister of Youth, Sport and Voluntary Work, to serve as the Agency’s next vice president. Minister Lamour, whose one-year term begins in January 2007, will replace Brian Mikkelsen, Danish Minister of Sport, who is completing his second of two consecutive one-year terms.

“Jean-François is immensely respected for his work on behalf of clean sport, both in his country and as European representative on WADA’s Executive Committee,” said WADA President Richard Pound. “He will play a significant role in advancing the goals and initiatives of WADA.”

“I believe that WADA has made great strides in the global fight against doping sport, and that we have an important duty now to ensure success in meeting our current and future challenges,” Lamour said. “I look forward to intensifying my contribution to the initiatives and mission of the Agency to protect the integrity of sport and the health of athletes worldwide.”

Executive Committee for 2007

The Foundation Board unanimously approved changes to the Executive Committee for 2007: Denmark replacing France as the European representative, and New Zealand replacing Australia as the Oceania representative.

Constitutional Amendments

WADA's Board also approved constitutional amendments involving Board membership and representation. The changes allow an increase of the Foundation Board membership from 36 to 38, and consequently permit the selection of its president and vice president from outside of the officially-designated representatives of specific stakeholders. The Board approved the removal of the restriction limiting service of individuals to three terms of three years, and supported the principle of rotation of sport and government representation in the president and vice-president seats, with a limitation on consecutive tenure to six years unless no alternative nomination is made.

Policy Statement on WADA’s Mission

The Executive Committee reiterated that WADA’s primary mission is to act as the monitoring watchdog for the implementation of and compliance with the World Anti-Doping Code (Code), and that the Agency fulfills these responsibilities as directed by the Foundation Board and Executive Committee. It is not a service organization for international sports federations.

Code Review & Consultation

WADA's Executive Committee and Foundation Board discussed the working draft revision of the Code, the result of the first of three consultation phases with stakeholders.

“The Code represents a unique and unprecedented triumph of Sport and Government joining forces to address a critical problem threatening public health and the integrity of sport,” said Pound. “Now, with several years of practical implementation and experience, we are working with stakeholders in the enhancement of its provisions for an even more robust anti-doping system worldwide.”

The feedback received from the Executive Committee and the Foundation Board will be incorporated and the first revised draft will be sent to stakeholders in January 2007 to begin the second consultation phase. The Code review will culminate at the Third World Conference on Doping in Sport, held by WADA in partnership with the Government of Spain on November 15-17, 2007, in Madrid, Spain.

Budget

The Foundation Board approved US$23 million for WADA’s 2007 budget, representing a minor increase of three percent over the 2006 budget.

As regards funding, the Agency has now received 93 percent of its 2006 budget. WADA’s funding is provided equally by governments of the world and sport. The International Olympic Committee (IOC), on behalf of the Olympic Movement, matches dollar for dollar contributions made by governments.

UNESCO Convention and Government Role

Board members discussed the critical role of governments in the global fight against doping.

To date, 27 governments have ratified the International Convention against Doping in Sport (Convention). The Convention was unanimously adopted by the General Conference of UNESCO at its plenary session in Paris on 19 October 2005. Once 30 ratifications are received, the Convention will formally enter into force.

“The Convention holds the record for being the fastest drafted and the fastest ratified within UNESCO, as its formal ratification is expected to be completed within less than one year of its being sent to governments for ratification,” said WADA Director General David Howman. “This is a clear demonstration of international governmental support for anti-doping. It leads the way for governments to align their domestic policies with the Code and facilitates cooperation and coordination among sport and government in the fight against doping.”

Until now, many governments could not be legally bound by a non-governmental document such as the Code. Governments accordingly drafted the International Convention under the auspices of UNESCO, enabling them to align their domestic legislation with the Code and thereby harmonizing the sport and public legislation in the fight against doping in sport.

Recent high-profile doping investigations and cases have shown just how important government action and cooperation between the Sport Movement and public authorities are in the ability to effectively combat doping. Board members also stressed that the coordination of efforts is critical to enable sports authorities to deal with doping athletes in a timely fashion.

Social Science Research

WADA will commit nearly US$178,000 to projects in Social Behavioural Research to look at the motivation behind the use of doping in sport.

“Understanding the behavioural aspects and value judgments behind doping will help us to develop and disseminate strong values-based anti-doping education programs,” said WADA Director General David Howman. WADA received 29 research applications, and the Executive Committee approved the funding of 6.

Laboratory Accreditation

WADA’s Executive Committee approved the re-accreditation of the 33 anti-doping laboratories located around the world. Following the recent approval by the Executive Committee of accreditation for a new laboratory in Salt Lake City (USA), the Sport Medicine Research and Testing Laboratory, there are now 34 anti-doping laboratories accredited to perform the analysis of doping control for sports under the World Anti-Doping Code. These laboratories are required to achieve and maintain accreditation from WADA, according to the criteria established in the International Standard for Laboratories and its related technical documents.

Anti-Doping Development

WADA reported that 91 countries previously not actively involved in anti-doping are now engaged in the fight against doping in sport through Regional Anti-Doping Organizations (RADOs). WADA coordinates the creation of RADOs, independent organizations that assume responsibility for testing, education, and other anti-doping activities in under-served regions of the world, combining the resources of several countries. The long-term objective of WADA’s RADO development program is for all nations of the world to be actively participating in the global harmonized anti-doping campaign by 2010.