7th IPACS Annual General Conference
The impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on the fight against corruption in sport was one of the key topics at the IPACS Annual Conference held on 11 October in a hybrid format in Rome, Italy. Other important discussions focused on the progress made in good governance in sports organisations, and the enhanced cooperation between law enforcement, criminal justice authorities and sports organisations, showcased at its best during the Olympic Games in Paris this summer.
The Conference, hosted by the National Olympic Committee of Italy (CONI), brought together more than 125 partners from IPACS, including governments, sports organisations, intergovernmental organisations and experts from the IPACS Task Forces – all determined to keep working together to protect the integrity and core values of sport. IOC Member and CONI President Giovanni Malagò warmly welcomed the attendees and highlighted Italy’s active role in the global fight against corruption. This was showcased during its 2021 G20 presidency, when it successfully advocated for the adoption of substantial anti-corruption deliverables.
IOC Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer Pâquerette Girard Zappelli, who led the meeting, said: “In corruption cases, sport is always the victim, regardless of whether the initiators of the criminal acts come from within or outside the sports world. IPACS serves as a multi-stakeholder collaboration platform which seeks pragmatic solutions to fight corruption in sport and tackle new challenges like AI. Sports organisations must protect the integrity of their sports, but often they cannot do so alone and need the support of their governments with judiciary power. That’s where IPACS comes into play as a facilitator, and we know from past experience that it works.”
AI and its impact on fighting corruption
During the conference session devoted to AI, participants and invited experts discussed the latest trends and successes of using AI to fight corruption in sport, and learnt details about the mission and future activities of the dedicated IPACS Working Group. In particular, this new group will consider the potential corruption-related risks and anti-corruption benefits of AI for sport, together with new developments in this field. It will also look at legal and ethical frameworks for the implementation of AI in sport and how AI could support athlete development, for example in the area of talent identification.
IPACS Sport Governance Benchmark: from theory to implementation
The IPACS Task Force on Good Governance led another session to discuss how various stakeholders have been implementing the IPACS Sport Governance Benchmark, which provides 50 recommendations as a common reference for governments and the sports movement on good governance in sport. This task can seem daunting, and it is important to provide advice on how to get started. That was why the IOC this year organised a series of governance webinars for non-Olympic IOC-recognised organisations, explaining how to implement the most pressing recommendations and providing examples. As a result of these webinars, the Task Force is now developing a handbook aimed at serving as a simplified version of the IPACS Sport Governance Benchmark, to help close the gaps and enable smaller sports organisations to improve their governance.
Collaboration as key success factor
There was broad consensus that fighting corruption efficiently will always require close cross-sector collaboration between law enforcement, criminal justice authorities and sports organisations – and IPACS fosters this cooperation through a dedicated Task Force. In addition to important advocacy initiatives by intergovernmental organisations like the European Union, the Council of Europe, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), there is also joint action on the ground. For instance, during the Olympic Games this summer, the IOC, the Paris 2024 Organising Committee and the French authorities set up a Joint Integrity Unit to prevent, monitor and assess any potential unethical activity at the Games. This multi-stakeholder collaboration model proved highly successful, enabling the rapid exchange of information and intelligence, and smooth coordination between the sports disciplinary side and law enforcement. The Conference participants agreed that such a temporary model, in place only during Games time since the Olympic Games London 2012, should be transformed into a permanent cooperation mechanism.
New IPACS Chair
Following the rotation principle, the IPACS partners also appointed the Swiss government as their new Chair for 2025 to 2026, succeeding the IOC. Having played an active role within IPACS since its inception, Switzerland has been at the forefront of supporting the fight against corruption in sport. Most notably, it became one of the first countries ever to include IPACS in its national anti-corruption strategy – a significant move that will hopefully inspire more governments to follow.
Wilhelm Rauch, Head of strategic legal services of the Swiss Government’s Federal Office of Sport, said: “As the host country for the IOC and for many international sports federations, Switzerland has a shared responsibility for the integrity of sport. The Swiss government has therefore explicitly included the cooperation within IPACS in its current anti-corruption strategy. It is therefore a matter of course for Switzerland's representatives in IPACS to be at the forefront of efforts to further develop this important partnership.”
Finally, the participants discussed the strategic roadmap for 2025 and 26, and the next steps for the partnership.