11 January 1999

No. 99/30

Reference documents

- GR-C(98)20

- CM(98)210

The Deputies are invited to discuss the preparations for the International Olympic Committee's Conference on doping, with a view to strengthening the Secretary General's political mandate at this event, and to take note of the report of the Extraordinary Meeting of the Monitoring Group as it appears in CM(98)210.

1. The Monitoring Group of the Anti-Doping Convention held an Extraordinary Meeting in Strasbourg on 5 November 1998, and adopted a number of Conclusions (see CM(98)210 and Press Releases n° 715 and 728).

2. These Conclusions focus on:

- Priorities for the Monitoring Group’s own future work (in the legal and medical fields in particular).

- The Monitoring Group’s contribution to the World Conference on Doping in Sport, convened by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in Lausanne from 2-4 February 1999.

In this connection it is important to recall that the Convention is the only international legal instrument in this field. Unesco has renounced drawing up its own instrument, in favour of the Council of Europe’s text. Australia and Canada are Contracting Parties and a number of other non-European States participate regularly in the work of the Monitoring Group as observers.

3. The IOC has asked the Council of Europe to contribute to the preparation of the Lausanne Conference, and the Secretary General has accepted an invitation to speak at the opening session.

4. The Conference will provide a timely opportunity to bring to the attention of the sports world the work of the Council of Europe in this field. Texts of the Anti-Doping Convention and the various Recommendations adopted by the Monitoring Group have been sent to the IOC secretariat for inclusion in the documentation for the Conference.

5. The proposals of the Monitoring Group cover areas where closer co-operation between the IOC and the Council of Europe is considered necessary:

- In the working of the proposed International Olympic Anti-Doping Agency (OMADA).

- In providing closer medical care for sportsmen and sportswomen.

- With regard to criteria by which the IOC would weigh the eligibility of international sports federations to participate in the programmes of the Olympic Games.

- In drawing up the list of prohibited classes of substances and banned methods.

- In agreeing on a joint methodology for the accreditation of anti-doping laboratories.

At a preparatory meeting between the Secretary General and a delegation from the IOC on 21 December 1998, some reserves were expressed by the IOC on consequences of such co-operation on the last two points.

6. The themes of the Conference cover:

- The protection of athletes

- Education

- Legal and political questions

- Financial questions

On each of these subjects, the Council of Europe has concrete results to show and suggestions to put forward. The speech of the Secretary General though could also focus on more general ethical and policy aspects, stressing that the values of the Council of Europe require a whole-hearted commitment to the anti-doping struggle and that very close co-operation between the public authorities and the sports movement is absolutely vital for success. The technical aspects of the Council of Europe proposals should be presented by the Chair of the Monitoring Group of the Anti-Doping Convention.

7. It should be noted that at the GR-IPA meeting on 28 October 1998, "the secretariat underlined the necessity to strengthen both the structures and the means given to the Council of Europe in the fight against doping with a view to obtaining more efficiency and visibility".

8. Furthermore, it was suggested at the GR-C meeting on 13 November 1998 – on which occasion an in-depth discussion of doping questions took place - that governments might also undertake a commitment not to approve the candidature of a town for hosting the Olympic Games or a major international championship if that country did not have an effective anti-doping policy.

9. The Deputies are invited to discuss the preparations for the IOC Conference, with a view to strengthening the Secretary General’s political mandate at this event.

Item 7.1

(GR-C(98)20, CM(98)210)

The Deputies

1. underlined the importance of the Council of Europe’s work on doping in sport and, in this context, recalled that its Anti-doping Convention, the only international legal instrument in this field, gives to the Organisation a special responsibility in the fight against doping;

2. took note of the report of the Extraordinary Meeting of the Monitoring Group as it appears in CM(98)210.

DRAFT DECISIONS

Item 7.1

(GR-C(98)20, CM(98)210)

The Deputies encouraged the Secretary General to stress, in his speech at the World Conference on Doping in Sport (Lausanne, 2-4 February 1999), the need for the sports movement to adopt radical new policies to combat this scourge and to seek systematically close co-operation with the public authorities in this area, notably through the mechanisms provided by the Anti-Doping Convention;