WADA compliance update following Executive Committee meeting of 22 September

Further to the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA's) Executive Committee (ExCo) meeting of 22 September 2023, WADA wishes to update stakeholders regarding the ExCo’s decision to endorse ten recommendations of WADA’s independent Compliance Review Committee (CRC).

During its meeting, the ExCo asserted non-compliance of three Anti-Doping Organizations (ADOs) with the World Anti-Doping Code (Code). The two National Anti-Doping Organizations (NADOs) in question are Bermuda and South Africa; and the Major Event Organization (MEO) in question is the Pan American Sports Organization (Panam Sports).

In the cases of the Bermuda and South Africa NADOs, the non-compliance is a result of legislation not in line with the 2021 Code. The proposed consequences and reinstatement conditions for these NADOs can be found here. 

For Panam Sports, the non-compliance is a result of non-conformities in implementing an effective testing program. The proposed consequences and reinstatement conditions for Panam Sports can be found here. 

The ExCo also imposed additional consequences and conditions of reinstatement on Russia’s NADO [the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA)], which was already non-compliant since 17 December 2020. This is a result of legislation in Russia not being in line with the Code. The proposed consequences and reinstatement conditions for RUSADA can be found here.

For all Signatories above, it should be noted that the decision (including the consequences) will enter into force on 14 October 2023, unless the non-conformities are corrected by that date, or unless the decision is appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) by the same date.

In addition, the ExCo accepted the recommendation of the CRC to add six NADOs to a ‘watchlist’, giving them an additional four months (until 22 January 2024) to correct their non-conformities as is allowed by Article 8.4.5 of the International Standard for Code Compliance by Signatories (ISCCS).

It should be noted that Angola and Morocco have draft amendments to their anti-doping legislation that have been assessed by WADA as being in line with the 2021 Code. These NADOs have also provided a calendar for adoption of those amendments within four months. Similarly, the NADOs of Algeria, Ecuador, Mongolia and the Philippines provided corrective action plans that explained how they would correct the non-conformities identified through the Code Compliance Questionnaire exercise within four months following the decision of the ExCo. Until the expiration of this four-month deadline, no consequences of non-compliance will apply to these six NADOs. If at the end of the four-month period, the non-conformities are not corrected, WADA will automatically issue a formal notice alleging non-compliance.