It's one of the major events of December within the Olympic Movement: the World Conference on Doping in Sport will be held in Busan, South Korea, from Monday to Friday. The Busan Exhibition and Convention Center has been chosen for this sixth edition, which will bring together 1.500 key stakeholders: athletes, but also governments, national and regional anti-doping organizations, laboratories, researchers, and the media.
"An essential platform for strengthening cooperation"
As a sign of the importance of this conference, Kirsty Coventry will speak on Wednesday during a session devoted to the history of WADA and the global anti-doping system, alongside, among others, Richard Pound, founding president of WADA, and former president Craig Reedie. The Conference will be an opportunity for the community to take stock of the progress made since the Katowice Declaration, endorsed by stakeholders at the WADA World Conference in Poland in 2019. "This is a significant development," emphasizes WADA President Witold Banka. Delegates attending the Conference will have the opportunity to speak (upon prior registration) during several sessions and thus present their views on the World Anti-Doping Programme.
« The fight against doping has become more complex and requires constant adaptation to new challenges. The Conference will be a vital platform for knowledge sharing and strengthening global cooperation in the fight against doping. Through open dialogue and collaboration, we aim to advance the mission of protecting clean athletes and ensuring the integrity of sport. “,” explains Dr. Young-Hee Lee, president of the Korean Anti-Doping Agency. Other sessions will focus on protecting the fundamental human rights of athletes and on changes to International Standards, including those related to testing, education, laboratories, therapeutic use exemptions, results management, data protection, and the list of prohibited substances and methods.
The culmination of two years of consultation and reflection
The spotlight will be primarily on the approval of the World Anti-Doping Code and the 2027 International Standards, the update process for which began in September 2023. Several consultations have been held, and more than 5.000 comments have been submitted by public authorities, academic institutions, international federations, national anti-doping organizations, NOCs, and others. A specific consultation was also conducted with athletes, with over 600 athletes or athletes' commissions participating.
They expressed support for shorter periods of ineligibility for careless violations (as opposed to intentional violations of the Code), requested that anti-doping rule violations deemed "without fault or negligence" not be published, and wanted the topic of "unintentional doping," including the risks associated with the use of dietary supplements, to be mandatory in educational programs. Final approval of the Code and Standards is expected at a joint meeting of the WADA Executive Committee and Foundation Board on December 5. These new versions will come into effect on January 1, 2027. The future of the fight against doping will therefore be partly defined this week.
