Partnership for a clean sport | The Uefa

Sophie Kwasny: We are an intergovernmental organization. As such, we support government actions and monitor that policies and practices comply with applicable laws and the standards and principles we seek to promote in the area of ​​human rights, democracy and the rule of law. In the area of ​​sports and anti-doping, we are in contact with sports ministries, national and international anti-doping organizations and sports associations such as UEFA. Our job is to bring all stakeholders together and make recommendations to improve policies and practices.

S.K: This is a crucial piece of the puzzle. You cannot fight the fight against doping alone – you have to involve all sports federations. On the one hand, we are in contact with those directly involved on site, and on the other hand with the government agencies that enforce the rules.

Liene Kozlovska: When it comes to dealing in doping substances, the prosecution of doping offenses under criminal law, or the issue of corruption and manipulation in sport, you have to work very closely with government agencies, such as law enforcement agencies. One instrument for this cooperation is the one adopted in 1989 Anti-Doping Convention. We hold regular anti-doping policy exchanges with the various countries that have ratified the Convention and set up dedicated sub-groups if a particular issue requires further consideration. For example, the Council of Europe last year Recommendation adopted to ensure that human rights principles are respected in disciplinary proceedings and that all anti-doping proceedings are conducted in accordance with the Human Rights Convention.

S.K: The universal principles of integrity apply equally to all people and all sports. However, there are some peculiarities as to how this integrity can be achieved in each sport. You could put it this way: The core message is universal, but the respective implementation must then be adapted to the specific environment.

L.K: From a human rights perspective, we pay particular attention to vulnerable groups. These could be minors, for example, who have no idea what substance they are being given, or who unknowingly break the rules. According to the principle of strict liability, athletes are guilty of an offense as soon as doping substances are found in their bodies. We have to ensure that youngsters understand the scope of a doping offense and explain the potential consequences as best we can. For the future, we are planning to set up a working group that will work to protect minors in the fight against doping.

S.K: Education is a key factor. In the past, the focus was primarily on sanctions and penalties. Today the picture has changed and the topic of enlightenment is becoming more and more important. We often see cases in which coaches or even their own parents give young athletes doping substances, be it on purpose or out of ignorance. Even if this is done in good faith, for example due to a minor injury, it is considered doping. It is therefore important to sensitize and educate parents, coaches, athletes and young talents.

S.K: Above all, it is about the exchange of best practices. In this context, we have first-class experts from different countries and sports associations who contribute their wealth of experience and valuable ideas and thus provide food for thought for others. For representatives of sports associations, these meetings offer the opportunity to get involved in a specialist network and to influence the development of relevant standards, which then have to be adopted by all associations. For example, this panel of experts supported WADA in developing the International Standard for Education, which is now binding for all international federations and all national anti-doping organizations.

L.K: It is also an interesting development to see how smaller associations with limited financial resources dare to think outside the box and keep finding new ways to reach their target groups. At the same time, the lack of resources often encourages their creativity, which is very inspiring for all of us.

S.K: If you look at the average age of today’s top athletes and that of the next generation, we are clearly dealing with Gen Z. That’s why we have to address them today in their language so that they know everything they need to know about this topic at the beginning of their professional career. The sooner we reach them with our message, the higher the chances that they will be able to say no to doping. If we use the right methods, the message will become firmly ingrained in their brains, so they won’t even consider improper means. We need to understand their codes and find the right arguments and messages to grab their attention.

S.K: As already mentioned, the main thing is to adequately address future generations. Currently we are turning our focus to Gen Z to understand them properly and reach them with appropriate messages. Next we need to articulate targeted messages for the even younger talent who will become the stars of tomorrow.

S.K: In 2018, the Council of Europe and UEFA signed a agreement in principleto develop cooperation between the two organizations, particularly in the areas of integrity, good governance and human rights in sport. The agreement in principle reaffirms our willingness to cooperate and defines our common high priorities.

UEFA was already involved in the committee work of the Council of Europe before the agreement in principle was signed. For example, the European umbrella organization had observer status with dynamic participation in our Sport Division for decades. Furthermore, experts from UEFA are in discussions with the signatory states of the Saint Denis Convention involved in a holistic approach to safety, security and service at football matches.

Together with national delegations, UEFA is involved in the development of new standards and the exchange of best practices within the framework of the Anti-Doping Convention. Most recently, UEFA officially acceded to the Council of Europe Convention on the Manipulation of Sports Competitions (Magglingen Convention) which came into force in 2019.

Today’s workshop is a good example of the close and fruitful cooperation between both organizations in various subject areas.