International Olympic Committee
Olympic Agenda 2020 & OM Unit PMC
The IOC being well aware of its social mission towards society has been very active and serious with reference to this problem of sport competition manipulations, which is jeopardising the very credibility of sport. The philosophy of protecting clean athletes and sports integrity was reaffirmed in December 2014 through the adoption of Olympic Agenda 2020, the IOC’s strategic roadmap for the future of the Olympic Movement. Recommendations 15 and 16 of this Olympic Agenda 2020 specifically refer to the ultimate goal: The protection of the clean athletes.
In order to reach this the IOC created various initiatives which led to the creation of the ‘Olympic Movement Unit on the Prevention of the Manipulation of Competitions’ (OM Unit PMC) in early 2017. This Unit works with its unique and all-encompassing ‘3 Pillar Strategy’ and aims to tackle the challenge ‘competition manipulation’ from all angles:
(1)Improve sport regulations and state legislation (which includes some basic rules – e.g. don’t bet on
your sport, don’t give inside information, always report). For example, the ‘Olympic Movement Code on
the Prevention of Manipulation of Competitions’ was created in 2015 and this Code is implemented in the
Olympic Charter (on the same level as the World Anti-Doping Code). Therefore all International Sport
Federations have to be compliant with this Code and the OM Unit PMC is overseeing this process.
(2)Raise awareness, build capacity and undertake training. This includes numerous activities and capacity building programmes, for example during the YOG, but also a cooperation with INTERPOL (‘Integrity in Sport’).
(3)Ensure information exchange, investigation and prosecution capacities (which includes the ‘Integrity Betting Intelligence System’ IBIS, and the IOC’s Reporting Mechanism.
The Olympic Movement Code on the Prevention of the Manipulation of Competitions
In its bid to strengthen the integrity and credibility of sport and for the successful protection of clean athletes, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in December 2015 published the Olympic Movement Code on the Prevention of the Manipulation of Competitions. A first of its kind, the Code aims to provide the Olympic Movement and its members with harmonised regulations to protect all competitions from the risk of manipulation. Any sports organisation bound by the Olympic Charter is expected to respect the provisions of the new Code.
This Code is implemented in the Olympic Charter (on the same level as the World Anti-Doping Code). Therefore all International Sport Federations have to be compliant with this Code and the OM Unit PMC is overseeing this process.
The Code can be accessible here:
International Forum on Sports Integrity – IFSI
The first edition of the IFSI:
At the initiative of the International Olympic Committee, the 1st International Forum for Sports Integrity (IFSI) was held in Lausanne on Monday, 13th April 2015. The meeting was chaired by IOC President Thomas Bach and included representatives from world governments, the Council of Europe, the European Union, INTERPOL, Europol, United Nations agencies, sports betting operators, Olympic Movement stakeholders and others. Lotteries were also represented of course. The Forum prepared a roadmap for future action aimed at strengthening and coordinating all activities to protect clean athletes from match-fixing, manipulation of competitions and related corruption.
The measures adopted by the IFSI are centred on three main themes (3-pillar approach of the IOC)
- Education and Information
- Intelligence and Investigations
- Legislation and Regulation
More information on 1st edition of IFSI and roadmap adopted here.
The IFSI forms part of Recommendation 16 of Olympic Agenda 2020, the IOC’s strategic roadmap for the future of the Olympic Movement.
The way forward and the UK Anti-Corruption Summit.
The IOC Ethics and Compliance Office (being in charge of the organization of the 2nd edition of the IFSI) was planning to organize the 2nd edition of the IFSi in 2017, again with a focus on match-fixing.
However, as the good governance issue was getting bigger and bigger due to numerous corruption scandals, and as the UK Anti-Corruption Summit convened by the UK Prime Minister in May 2016 which in its communiqué referred to the IFSI and gave it from the one hand more political value and from the other hand a joint focus on match-fixing issues and general ethical conduct-good governance in sport, the focus of the 2017 IFSI would be both match-fixing and good governance in sport.
The preparation of the 2nd edition: IFSI Expert Groups (November 2016)
In view of the upcoming IFSI, the IOC set up last November 4 IFSI Expert Groups to pre-discuss the issues that will be addressed at the IFSI:
1. Expert Group on Sport Regulations/Legislation,
2. Expert Group on Education and Capacity Building
3. Expert Group on Intelligence and Investigations of Breaches of the Integrity of Competitions
4. Expert Group on Supporting Ethical Conduct within Sports Organisations (anti-corruption)
Lotteries (GLMS / EL) were an active part of the Expert Groups 2 and 3.
The 2nd edition of the IFSI & IFSI Declaration
The second International Forum for Sports Integrity (IFSI), hosted by the IOC, took place in the Olympic Museum in Lausanne on Wednesday as it looked to agree the next steps on the prevention of competition manipulation and corruption in sport. The Forum agreed on the creation of an Olympic Movement Unit on the Prevention of the Manipulation of Competitions and the launch of an International Sports Integrity Partnership to combat the problem.
Lotteries (GLMS / EL / WLA) actively participated in this forum.
A common declaration was adopted by the stakeholders – which can be accessible here.