WADA welcomes conclusions from annual audit of its independent Intelligence and Investigations Department

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has published the conclusions and suggested improvements that resulted from the fourth annual audit of the Agency’s independent Intelligence and Investigations (I&I) Department, which was held from 14-17 September 2021 at the Agency’s Europe Office in Lausanne, Switzerland.

In keeping with article 9(a) of WADA’s I&I Policy, on an annual basis, an Independent Supervisor is required to conduct an audit of WADA I&I. Such audits are intended to ensure that the work of the Department is regularly reviewed to ensure it continues to meet international best practice standards in a lawful and ethical way, while protecting the rights of individuals at all times.

WADA I&I Director, Gunter Younger, said: “The Intelligence and Investigations Department of WADA is an independent arm of the Agency. This independence is crucial for the work we do but at the same time it is important that the department remains accountable and transparent. This annual audit gives us the chance to receive feedback on how our processes can be improved while also showcasing the work we do to the world, including to our confidential sources and others who may have information to share with us about wrongdoing they have witnessed.

“I thank the Independent Supervisor for his report and I am pleased with his conclusions. This is the fourth year in a row that he has been satisfied with the quality of our work and this report is another boost for us as we strive to protect athletes and clean sport around the world. WADA I&I has grown to a staff of 15, which will be expanded to 17 early in 2022. This growth has allowed us to widen our scope, take on more investigations, which in turn have yielded good results.”

The audit was conducted by the Independent Supervisor, Jacques Antenen. Mr. Antenen is currently Commander of the Vaud Cantonal Police in Switzerland. He is also a former Investigating Judge of the Canton of Vaud and Special Federal Prosecutor of the Swiss Confederation.

Annually, the Independent Supervisor is required to submit a written report to WADA’s Director General and Executive Committee (ExCo). To ensure transparency, once approved by the ExCo, the conclusions of the report are made public on WADA’s website. The ExCo approved this year’s report at its 24 November meeting in Paris, France.