Latest activity update from IPACS
September turned out to be an action-packed month for IPACS, with forward-thinking discussions by the partnership’s Steering Committee; progress made in developing a Guide on the Prosecution of Bribery in Sport; integrity talks with academia; and the successful organisation of a webinar targeted at prosecutors. Here is a snapshot:
Steering Committee meeting
The latest meeting of the IPACS Steering Committee (SC) took place on 10 September in London, United Kingdom. Hosted by the City of London and UK Sport in London’s Guildhall, the gathering was led by the government of Switzerland (currently chairing the SC) and yielded several outcomes. These include consideration of the new terms of reference for the Cooperation Task Force; discussions about longer-term strategic goals; and preparations for the IPACS Annual General Conference and the 5th International Forum for Sports Integrity (IFSI), which will both take place in Lausanne, Switzerland, on 23 and 24 October respectively.
In the interest of transparency, the SC also decided, from now on, to publish online the minutes of all its meetings. The minutes of the 10 September meeting can be found here.
After the SC meeting, the IPACS Cooperation Task Force, chaired by the UNODC and the IOC, met to review the draft Guide on the Prosecution of Bribery in Sport, which is scheduled to be published by the end of this year.
Integrity Talk with academia
On 25 September, IOC Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer Giuseppe Deleonardis delivered a presentation on “Fighting Against Corruption in Sports: A Multi-Stakeholder Approach” during an “Integrity Talk” hosted by the PRME Anti-Corruption Working Group. This group has been created by universities and business schools to address the integration of the UN Global Compact’s anti-corruption principles into academic and business discourses. The 40-or-so participants learnt about IPACS and its key areas of expertise. They were also invited to disseminate IPACS tools and raise awareness of the consequences of corruption in sport.
Webinar for prosecutors
A webinar for members of the International Association of Prosecutors (IAP) took place on 26 September. On the agenda: tackling sports corruption through cooperation between sports organisations and prosecutors. The objective was to provide IAP members with an overview of the current state of corruption in sport, including the most common forms it takes and the impact of organised crime. It also introduced the 125 prosecutors from 60 jurisdictions attending to IPACS, and invited them to take part in the review process of the draft Guide on the Prosecution of Bribery in Sport.
The IAP is made up of more than 140 prosecuting agencies, with members from around 170 countries and jurisdictions.
Panellists included Giuseppe Deleonardis, IOC Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer; Camila Tort, IOC Ethics, Compliance and Governance Manager; Ronan O’Laoire, UNODC Coordinator of the UNODC Programme on Safeguarding Sport from Corruption and Economic Crime; and Louis Weston, Barrister at Outer Temple Chambers and author of the draft guide.
Coming up
The 2025 IPACS Annual General Conference will take place on 23 October at Olympic House in Lausanne, Switzerland, ahead of the 5th International Forum for Sports Integrity (IFSI) the following day.