WADA participates in important anti-doping summit for Central and Eastern Europe

This week, members of the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA) leadership team were in Warsaw, Poland to take part in the Central and Eastern European Anti-Doping Summit. 

The Summit, which was attended by more than 70 of the world’s leading anti-doping experts from 26 different countries, was hosted by the Polish Anti-Doping Agency (POLADA) in collaboration with the Polish Ministry of Sport and Tourism. It focused on a number of anti-doping topics, including: 

• Cooperation between National Anti-Doping Organizations (NADOs) internationally and regionally; 
• Discussions regarding the 2027 World Anti-Doping Code and International Standards Update; 
• Intelligence and investigations, including cooperation between Anti-Doping Organizations and law enforcement agencies; 
• The importance of education to preventing doping in sport; and 
• The role of athletes and the media in promoting clean sport. 

WADA President, Witold Bańka, and Director General, Olivier Niggli, delivered opening speeches which highlighted the importance of continued collaboration and harmonization between the Anti-Doping Organizations (ADOs) within the region and around the world.  

WADA President, Witold Bańka, said: "The key to success for anti-doping around the world is collaboration. No single organization can achieve a level playing field for all athletes. WADA relies on the expertise, energy and local knowledge of all our global stakeholders. Here in Central and Eastern Europe we are fortunate to have reliable partners who together are making a difference. Summits such as this really help as they provide a platform for Anti-Doping Organizations to get together, share best practices and discover new ways to collaborate. I hope more opportunities like this can be organized and that the clean sport community here can really make its presence felt throughout Europe and around the world."  

WADA Director General, Olivier Niggli, said: "It is a pleasure to be in Poland for what is an important Summit for clean sport in the Central and Eastern European region. I want to stress that harmonization, innovation and unity are three key objectives to delivering the Global Anti-Doping System that athletes deserve. This type of meeting helps us align around these objectives. I commend the organizers for the leadership that is being shown here this week as I am feeling very optimistic that, together, we can deliver an ambitious program to protect athletes here and around the world." 

Director General of the Polish Anti-Doping Agency, Michał Rynkowski, said: “I am pleased that we can jointly create this important and unique anti-doping event. POLADA is strongly focused on international cooperation and to providing assistance to developing Anti-Doping Organizations. We have been doing this effectively for many years. However, it is now time to share this experience to an even greater extent. Our Summit has gathered so many important persons that are engaged in combating doping in Europe and around the world, which is a clear sign of the interest that the community has to work together for the benefit of athletes and the integrity of sports competitions. During the Summit, we will discuss topics related to law, the rules of the World Anti-Doping Program, international cooperation, investigations, as well as the role of athletes and journalists in promoting clean sport.” 

A number of other WADA staff contributed to the summit, including Director, NADO/RADO Relations, Tom May; Director of WADA’s European Office and Sport Movement Relations, Sébastien Gillot; General Counsel, Ross Wenzel; Head of Investigations Unit, Mathieu Holz, and; Head of Media Relations, James Fitzgerald.