The CMA at the World Anti-Doping Agency Symposium

First^rd edition of this flagship event in the anti-doping calendar brought together some 740 participants representing international federations, national and regional anti-doping organizations, organizations responsible for major sporting events, laboratories accredited by WADA, athletes - and , for the first time -, government representatives in charge of anti-doping cases.

Placed under the theme “Meeting our challenges and strengthening the future of clean sport”, this symposium took place over three days.

The first day, devoted to questions of principle, made it possible to explore three areas: stimulating the effectiveness of the fight against doping; the issue of whistleblowers; lessons for the anti-doping community from the consequences of independent doping investigations in the Russian Federation.

It was marked by various very rich interventions.

First, at the opening of the Symposium, the President of WADA, Sir Craig Reedie, urged this body to move up a gear in the fight and prevention against doping after a year 2016 full of turmoil in the building on the consensus that emerged at the Agency's Foundation Board in November 2016 on a series of recommendations related to compliance, whistleblowers, governance, and laboratories accredited by WADA , computer security and other subjects, with a view to strengthening and empowering WADA to be fit for the future and able to protect the rights of clean athletes everywhere.

Second, Mr. Olivier Nigli, Director General of WADA who, drawing lessons from the period of great turbulence that the anti-doping community has just passed through, insisted on the fact that compliance will be the top priority for the anti-doping community. over the months and years to come. He further recalled that if the anti-doping community is to intensify its efforts to protect clean sport, it must work together more constructively, listen to the voices of athletes, as well as encourage and protect whistleblowers. . He also provided further information on WADA's other priorities in 2017 which will include enhancing the Athlete Biological Passport (ABP) program and scientific knowledge, increasing research-based education in in the fight against doping, to work with all partners to enhance anti-doping capabilities, to manage the conclusions of the McLaren Inquiry that revealed the institutionalized manipulation of doping control procedures in Russia, and to support the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) in its move to return to compliance with the World Anti-Doping Code (the Code). On the latter point, he stressed that the Russian Federation must play a leading role in rebuilding a credible anti-doping program and autonomous since the few progress made so far are limited and the way to go for the Russian anti-doping organization to become compliant with the Code again Mondial Anti-Doping is still long.

Thirdly, Mr. Pavel Kolobkov, Minister of Sports of the Russian Federation, provided an update on anti-doping activities in Russia while acknowledging that the program for returning to compliance was still lacking.

Fourthly, Professor Richard McLaren, recalling the exact purpose of his mandate as Independent Person responsible for investigating the doping control process in Russia, recalled that his investigation was not intended to prove individual anti-doping rule violations but to examine the existence of an institutionalized system for manipulating doping controls; and finally, a session dedicated to the development of alerts and the protection of whistleblowers.

Fifthly, WADA Vice-President Ms. Linda Hofstad Helleland, former Norwegian Minister of Culture in charge of Sports, surrounded by members of the Agency's Sports Committee kicked off a wide awareness campaign that will be implemented on the occasion of major international sporting events.

Sixth, the British cyclist Toby Atkins gave a particularly edifying testimony on the courage of the whistleblowers and the obstacles of all kinds they face in their action for a clean sport.

In the seventh and final place, the director of the Intelligence and Investigations Department of the agency, Mr. Gunter Youger, a former German policeman who has held several positions mainly focused on international investigations and drug trafficking and organized crime, presented the Agency's new Whistleblower Program, the Agency's Reporting Misconduct Policy and Procedure, and provided an update on the launch of the new digital platform for reporting anti-doping rule violations , titled Break the silence!.

The second and third day served as a framework for eleven practical workshops respectively devoted to:

- strengthening the independence of anti-doping organizations and setting up good practices in terms of structuring and governance;

- the best ways to engage athletes in the anti-doping process;

- exploring new sources of funding for anti-doping organizations;

- the opportunity for a country or for the different sports to self-regulate in the fight against doping;

- improvement of educational programs by using research techniques in the social sciences;

- conducting doping risk assessments and a relevant control program;

- optimization of the management of authorizations for use for therapeutic purposes;

- the questionnaire on compliance and on the compliance control process of the World Anti-Doping Agency;

- the stimulation of partnerships between governments and sport;

- stimulating collaboration between anti-doping organizations and laboratories;

- improving the effectiveness of anti-doping organizations in managing results;

The delegation of the Monegasque Anti-Doping Committee distributed among its members the follow-up of all the workshops held at staggered schedules and can thus boast of being one of the few delegations to have participated in all the work of the Symposium.

On the sidelines of the work of this Symposium, the Chairman of the Committee had particular meetings with Sir Craig Reedie, President of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), Dr. Mohamed Saleh Al-Konbaz, President of the Conference of the Parties responsible for of the follow-up to the UNESCO International Convention against doping in sport, Professor Richard McLaren, author of the report that bears his name, Mr. Bruno Genevois, State Councilor, President of the Agence Française de Lutte against Doping (AFLD), Mr. Olivier Nigli, Director General of WADA, Mr. Frédéric Donzé, Director of Operations of WADA, Mr. Robert Ndjana, President of the Cameroonian organization for the fight against doping in the sport (OCALUDS).