EXPERTS GROUP MEETING WAS HELD IN VIENNA WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF IPACS
On 6 June, an Experts Group Meeting was held at the Vienna International Centre, co-organised by the International Olympic Committee and the United Nations Office for Drugs and Crime (UNODC) to address the need to enhance the cooperation between criminal justice authorities and sport organisations in sports corruption cases.
The Experts Group Meeting used case studies to frame its discussion of the following questions:
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How to assess and who should lead an investigation into an allegation of corruption in sport?
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What procedures should be in place to help investigate allegations of corruption in sport?
The important role which criminal justice authorities can play in dealing with cases of corruption and crime in sport was underlined, as was the widely accepted view that threats to sport need to be addressed comprehensively at national, regional and international levels.
The case studies presented highlighted the need for officials and representatives from governments and sport organisations to enhance their cooperation, in particular through sharing of information relevant to cases of corruption, when they emerge. It was also highlighted that, due to the nature sport organizations and their modus operandi, such cases are frequently of transnational international nature which adds significantly the complexity of such cases.
This Experts Group Meeting was organised in the view of the establishment of a Task Force 4 for IPACS, which should complement the three existing Task Forces focused on the areas of procurement, awarding of sport events and good governance principles. The setting-up of this Task Force will have to be endorsed by the IPACS Steering Committee at its upcoming biannual meeting that will take place in Paris on 1st July.