CCES CEO Addresses World Conference on Doping in Sport

November 13, 2013
WADA Conference Logo

CCES CEO Paul Melia Addresses World Conference on Doping in Sport in Johannesburg, 2013

This week a few CCES staff members and I are at the World Conference on Doping in Sport in Johannesburg (http://wada2013.org). Below is a speech I just delivered during a plenary session:

Thank you Mr. Chairman, my name is Paul Melia and I am the Chief Executive Officer and President of the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport.  
The Centre for Ethics in Sport serves as Canada’s national anti-doping agency.  We have been engaged in the fight against doping for over two decades.  
As a proud member of the Institute of National Anti-Doping Organizations.  We are grateful for WADA’s ongoing financial contribution to iNADO and we fully support iNADO’s intervention at this conference; as we do the interventions of the Canadian Government and the Canadian Olympic Committee.
I want to commend WADA for its leadership, throughout the extensive Code consultation process, and ultimately the development of the final 2015 World Code.   
The Centre for Ethics in Sport declares its full endorsement of the 2015 Code and its Standards, and we will implement it accordingly.   
WADA was born out of a need for one set of harmonized rules governing doping in sport.  But one set of rules is only effective if those rules are consistently implemented by all sports in all countries.  Today, we have one set of rules.  The challenge ahead is to see these rules implemented fairly and consistently across all sports and countries.  
With this intervention therefore, I wish to make three very important points:
1) WADA must become an effective global anti-doping regulator – a regulator with the authority and willingness to enforce non-compliance sanctions on anti-doping organizations.  WADA must stop doing for anti-doping organizations what they can and should do for themselves.  WADA must now focus its limited resources on monitoring and regulating code compliance.  And such compliance must go beyond self-reporting.  Anti-doping organizations must clearly demonstrate that they are implementing the Code and running effective, credible anti-doping programs.  In our view, this is essential if we wish to make REAL progress in the fight against doping in sport.  
 
2) We cannot ignore our common fiscal reality.  The cost of anti-doping continues to climb, yet resources in many cases remain stagnant or are shrinking.  While government and sport contribute significantly to the fight against doping in sport, there is an obvious sector missing.  One that profits tremendously from the product of sport.  We must bring international corporations to the table to help finance our work.  Government and sport can no longer be the sole funders of the fight against doping in sport.  
 
3) In Canada, our Centre has led the effort to develop a values-based and principle-driven sport system.  We believe this is fundamental and necessary to prevent our next generation of athletes from engaging in cheating.  A major enhancement to the 2015 World Code is found in Section 18 which highlights the need for values-based education focused on young people. We applaud WADA for this important improvement. We all must now consider how to engage the necessary partners, at the grass roots level of sport, within our countries to fully integrate effective, values-based education programs.   
 
Finally, let me say that in the wake of what has been an historic year in the fight against doping in sport, it is now time for all of us to move from talk to action
Thank you.
 

Thank you Mr. Chairman, my name is Paul Melia and I am the Chief Executive Officer and President of the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport.  

The Centre for Ethics in Sport serves as Canada’s national anti-doping agency.  We have been engaged in the fight against doping for over two decades.  

As a proud member of the Institute of National Anti-Doping Organizations. We are grateful for WADA’s ongoing financial contribution to iNADO and we fully support iNADO’s intervention at this conference; as we do the interventions of the Canadian Government and the Canadian Olympic Committee.

I want to commend WADA for its leadership, throughout the extensive Code consultation process, and ultimately the development of the final 2015 World Code.   

The Centre for Ethics in Sport declares its full endorsement of the 2015 Code and its Standards, and we will implement it accordingly.  

WADA was born out of a need for one set of harmonized rules governing doping in sport. But one set of rules is only effective if those rules are consistently implemented by all sports in all countries.  Today, we have one set of rules. The challenge ahead is to see these rules implemented fairly and consistently across all sports and countries.  

With this intervention therefore, I wish to make three very important points:

1) WADA must become an effective global anti-doping regulator – a regulator with the authority and willingness to enforce non-compliance sanctions on anti-doping organizations.  WADA must stop doing for anti-doping organizations what they can and should do for themselves. WADA must now focus its limited resources on monitoring and regulating code compliance.  And such compliance must go beyond self-reporting. Anti-doping organizations must clearly demonstrate that they are implementing the Code and running effective, credible anti-doping programs.  In our view, this is essential if we wish to make REAL progress in the fight against doping in sport.  

2) We cannot ignore our common fiscal reality. The cost of anti-doping continues to climb, yet resources in many cases remain stagnant or are shrinking.  While government and sport contribute significantly to the fight against doping in sport, there is an obvious sector missing. One that profits tremendously from the product of sport. We must bring international corporations to the table to help finance our work. Government and sport can no longer be the sole funders of the fight against doping in sport.  

3) In Canada, our Centre has led the effort to develop a values-based and principle-driven sport system. We believe this is fundamental and necessary to prevent our next generation of athletes from engaging in cheating. A major enhancement to the 2015 World Code is found in Section 18 which highlights the need for values-based education focused on young people. We applaud WADA for this important improvement. We all must now consider how to engage the necessary partners, at the grass roots level of sport, within our countries to fully integrate effective, values-based education programs.   

Finally, let me say that in the wake of what has been an historic year in the fight against doping in sport, it is now time for all of us to move from talk to action.

Thank you.