Preamble:
The Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport’s (CCES) core mandate is to be a regulator for sport at the national level administering the Canadian Anti-Doping Program (CADP), Canadian Safe Sport Program (CSSP), and the Canadian Program to Prevent Competition Manipulation (CPPCM). As such, it is critical that the CCES be independent from those it regulates. The CCES is guided by this Resolution on Independence to prevent, manage, and otherwise address issues related to either actual or perceived control and influence regarding any particular individual, sport organization, or the collective views of sport organizations.
Board Approval:
The Resolution on Independence has been approved by the CCES Board of Directors. Any revisions or amendments to this Resolution require Board approval.
What is independence?
For the purpose of this Resolution, independence refers to freedom from the control and influence of those organizations and individuals which the CCES regulates.
Relationship with National and Multi-Sport Organizations:
The CCES enters into agreements with national and multi-sport organizations that define how the CCES will regulate the CADP, CSSP, and the CPPCM. The CCES will connect regularly with these organizations to perform its duties and invites feedback on its regulatory processes. However, these organizations do not have any decision-making authority regarding the CCES policies, procedures, or practices.
The CCES plays a critical role as a leader in sport integrity in Canada. Through this work, the CCES may act as a catalyst to develop new policies and initiatives and through this work may engage with sport organizations. In doing so, the CCES will not take direction from these organizations and will always operate through the lens of its own independence.
Endorsements, Certifications, and Sponsorships:
The CCES does not endorse, certify, or sponsor any sport organization or participant of those organizations (or what might be perceived as extensions of those organizations). The CCES does not permit sport organizations to use the CCES logos or trademarks except as required to demonstrate adherence to the CCES regulatory functions.
The CCES and the Government of Canada:
The CCES enters into annual funding agreements with the Government of Canada to perform its duties. The agreements are posted on its website. However, the CCES maintains governance and operational independence from the Government of Canada. The Government of Canada has no involvement or authority with respect to the selection or election of members to the CCES Board of Directors. The Government of Canada does not direct how the CCES implements the CADP, CSSP, or the CPPCM.
The CCES Approach to Managing Independence:
- Governance: the CCES has a Board of Directors that is expert based and non-representative of sport or government. Directors adhere to a conflict-of-interest policy. Members of the Board of Directors are selected and elected by existing members of the Board of Directors.
- Funding: the CCES receives ongoing operational funding from the Government of Canada. Beyond this, the CCES vets any other sources of funding through its Ethics Committee for any potential conflict of interest.
- Fee-for-Service Contracts: the CCES enters into contracts with various organizations that fall under its mandated scope of regulatory functions to perform distinct and separate fee-for-service duties on participants that fall outside of its regulatory function regarding anti-doping, safe sport, and competition manipulation. The CCES management reviews each contract to determine whether such a relationship would raise issues with respect to its independence from those organizations.
Approved January 31, 2025