Declaration of the 5th Olympic Summit

Protecting clean athletes is an absolute priority for the entire Olympic Movement.

The worldwide fight against doping is the responsibility of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), founded on the initiative of the IOC in 1999. Governments of the world and the Olympic Movement are sharing equally the engagement in and funding of WADA. Within WADA the Olympic Movement is coordinated by the IOC.

The discussions today are a milestone in the implementation of Olympic Agenda 2020 and subsequent decisions by the IOC and the Olympic Summits. Olympic Agenda 2020, which was approved in December 2014, called for "novel approaches”, which are "needed from all stakeholders”.

One of the novel approaches was discussed already in 2015 by the 3rd Olympic Summit and approved by the IOC EB. Following recommendation 15 of Olympic Agenda 2020 it was suggested:
• "To make anti-doping testing independent from sports organisations”
• Sanctions to be "pronounced by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS)”
• A "professional intelligence gathering unit” to be established within WADA.

The IOC Session in Rio de Janeiro 2016 fully supported all these measures.

The cooperation between the Olympic Movement and the governments is vital. The Olympic Summit offers the governments and intergovernmental organisations close coordination with respect to the approval, implementation and financing of the WADA reforms under discussion.

In this context the Olympic Summit is making the following in-principle proposals for a more robust, more efficient, more transparent and more harmonised WADA anti-doping system.
The Olympic Summit appreciates the commitment of the WADA President to take these proposals into consideration at the WADA Foundation Board meeting in November.

More Independence
1. The anti-doping system to be independent from sports organisations.
• This proposal follows the conclusions of the 3rd Olympic Summit in October 2015.
• A new anti-doping testing authority within the framework of WADA to be established.
• Sanctions related to doping cases to be delegated to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
2. The anti-doping system to be more independent from national interests.
• WADA to be given stronger authority over the National Anti-Doping Organisations (NADOs).
• Effective supervision by WADA of national anti-doping programmes.
• Fully transparent national Test Distribution Plans (TDPs) in compliance with international standards.
• Cross-border testing around the world to be made more effective.

More Harmonisation
1. WADA to establish one centralised worldwide anti-doping system.
• Standard level of testing to be harmonised per sport in close cooperation with the relevant International Federation (IF) to ensure that athletes from all nations are treated equally.
• Increasing the level of targeted testing.
2. The entourage of athletes, including coaches, doctors, physiotherapists and other officials, to be held criminally responsible for facilitating doping.
• The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), with the help of WADA and the Olympic Movement, to provide model legislation and to encourage adoption for a worldwide harmonisation in this respect.

More Transparency and better Governance
1. WADA to continue to have the regulatory role in the world-wide fight against doping setting the standards for compliance, and carrying out the assessment of all anti¬doping organisations.
2. The new anti-doping testing authority to be established within the framework of WADA.
• Clear segregation of duties between the regulatory and the testing bodies.
• Intelligence and investigation capability to be built.
3. WADA to strengthen its governance structure.
• Ensure compliance with the highest ethical standards in particular with regard to the resolution of conflicts of interests and integrity.
• Approve a policy for the encouragement and the protection of whistleblowers.
• Ensure the participation of elected athlete representatives.
• Increase the transparency and accountability towards its various stakeholders.
• Strengthen education programmes.
4. The respective responsibilities of WADA, NADOs, the IOC, International Federations (IFs), National Olympic Committees (NOCs), National Federations (NFs), event organisers and governments to be made absolutely clear and transparent.

Increased Security
WADA to significantly improve its information security standards to comply with the international data privacy regulations and to prevent data leakage of critical information.

Increased Financing
The Olympic Movement is ready to contribute to an increased financing along with its partners, the governments. The increase in financing depends on the implementation of the reforms by WADA and is based on the results provided by WADA after the review of the anti-doping system.

The Olympic Summit also discussed inviting the governments to consider a similar coordination to the Olympic Movement by pooling their participation through a UN Agency such as UNESCO. This may lead to stronger and broader government representation within WADA.

Lausanne, 8 October 2016

https://www.olympic.org/news/declaration-of-the-5th-olympic-summit