{"id":441000,"date":"2020-07-23T07:20:25","date_gmt":"2020-07-23T14:20:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=441000"},"modified":"2020-07-24T07:16:53","modified_gmt":"2020-07-24T14:16:53","slug":"athlete-groups-call-on-wada-to-implement-stronger-reforms-ahead-of-september-meeting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/athlete-groups-call-on-wada-to-implement-stronger-reforms-ahead-of-september-meeting\/","title":{"rendered":"WADA Welcomes Athlete Voice After Representatives Call On Watchdog To Hasten Reform Ahead Of September Meeting"},"content":{"rendered":"

A large group of athlete-representative organisations are set to meet Witold Ba\u0144ka<\/strong>, the President of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA)<\/strong> in September to lay out their demands for reform of the global clean-sport watchdog with a view to infusing it with improved provisions for “Independence, Transparency, Accountability and Human Rights”.<\/p>\n

That quoted phrase tops an open letter issued today by Global Athlete,\u00a0The Athletics Association,\u00a0AthletesCAN,\u00a0Athleten Deutschland e.V., the\u00a0Danish Olympic Committee Athlete Commission and the\u00a0United States Olympic<\/strong> and Paralympic Committee Athlete Advisory Council.<\/strong><\/p>\n

While commending WADA for “the work that has been done on harmonizing doping globally”, the athlete groups state in a letter setting out their position ahead of talks that “the governance of WADA and the status quo is no longer acceptable”.<\/p>\n

On transparency, the athlete groups state:<\/p>\n

“Athletes have taken notice of the \u201ccode of silence\u201d and major decisions being made behind closed doors that undermine every athlete\u2019s right to an equal, fair, and transparent system.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

WADA responded to the letter by welcoming the voice of athletes and the dialogue unfolding. A spokesperson for WADA said:<\/p>\n

\u201cWADA welcomes all constructive suggestions to further strengthen the Agency and the global anti-doping system. WADA is engaged in an ongoing dialogue with athletes worldwide and different groups representing them to keep on enhancing the effectiveness of the protection of clean sport. We highly appreciate these diverse voices.\u00a0We also look forward to sharing with all athletes the progress being made on significant WADA governance reforms already underway.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The Open Letter To WADA In Full:<\/h2>\n

23 July 2020: Athletes can no longer accept that their demands for proper reforms of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA)<\/strong> have not been addressed. Time after time, athletes\u2019 calls for change have been cast aside or written off as misinformed, despite the fact that athletes are the primary stakeholders and by far the most impacted group when the status quo persists.<\/p>\n

As educated, informed and united athlete representatives, we will continue to push for the needed reform. Below, we suggest a minimum set of changes that we believe will act as a starting point.<\/p>\n

Independence<\/strong><\/p>\n

Currently, despite denials to the contrary, WADA\u2019s leadership is represented in proportion to financial contributions, and influenced by lobbying by member states. The IOC pays 50% of the WADA budget and holds 50% of the vote. Governments also pay 50% and hold 50% of the vote<\/a>. In his letter of June 26, 2020 to Mr. James Carroll<\/strong>, WADA\u2019s President, Mr. Witold Ba\u0144ka<\/strong><\/a> apparent recognition that allocating seats \u201cexclusively to the highest funders\u201d eliminates a majority of nations from ever holding a seat on WADA\u2019s Board or Executive Committee<\/strong> and not being in line with international best practice, an important missing point is that this also excludes and alienates the primary stakeholders \u2013 athletes.<\/p>\n

In summary:<\/p>\n