WADA update on the compliance status of the National Olympic Committee of Angola and the National Anti-Doping Organization of the Philippines

Further to the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA's) Executive Committee (ExCo) meeting of 22 September 2023, WADA wishes to provide an update regarding the ExCo’s decision to endorse the recommendation of WADA’s independent Compliance Review Committee (CRC) and add the National Olympic Committee (NOC) of Angola (acting as a National Anti-Doping Organization - NADO) and the NADO of the Philippines to the compliance ‘watchlist’. 

The NOC of Angola’s non-compliance is the result of its failure to implement the 2021 version of the World Anti-Doping Code (Code) fully within its legal system, while the NADO of the Philippines did not resolve a number of critical non-conformities, as identified from WADA’s Code Compliance Questionnaire (CCQ) exercise. 

As per the International Standard for Code Compliance by Signatories (ISCCS), by adding the anti-doping organizations (ADOs) to the ‘watchlist’, the ExCo gave the ADOs four additional months to execute its corrective action plans.  

At the end of the watchlist period, the non-conformities were still not resolved. Therefore, as per Article 9.2.3 of the ISCCS, on 23 January 2024, WADA sent both ADOs a formal notice of non-compliance. The ADOs had 21 days following the date of receipt of the formal notice to dispute WADA’s allegation of non-compliance and/or the consequences and/or the conditions of reinstatement proposed by the Agency or accept the allegation of non-compliance, in line with Article 9.3.1 of the ISCCS. 

NOC of Angola (acting as a NADO) 

The NOC of Angola did not dispute WADA’s allegation of non-compliance, the proposed consequences of non-compliance or the proposed reinstatement conditions within 21 days of WADA’s allegation of non-compliance. As a result, the alleged non-compliance is deemed admitted and the consequences and reinstatement conditions accepted. Accordingly, the formal notice sent to the NOC of Angola on 23 January 2024 is now a final decision. 

As recommended by the CRC and approved by WADA’s ExCo, in accordance with Code Article 24, ISCCS Article 10 and Annex B of the ISCCS, the following consequences are imposed on the NOC of Angola. 

A separate note will be sent to other Signatories to the Code to assist them in implementing consequences against the NOC of Angola. 

NADO of the Philippines 

On 13 February, WADA received formal notification from the NADO of the Philippines that it disputes the allegations of non-compliance against it. WADA will now refer the matter to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) for its consideration. As such, the consequences will not apply until CAS makes its ruling. 

Non-compliant Code Signatories 

There are currently two other non-compliant Code Signatories, namely the Russian Anti-Doping Agency and the International Fitness and Bodybuilding Federation. For more information on these Code Signatories and their respective consequences, please visit the ‘Global list of non-compliant signatories and applicable consequences’ page of WADA’s website.