IPACS activity update
IPACS has been in action during the last few weeks and is looking ahead to a busy summer. Here is a roundup of recent and upcoming key activities:
UN General Assembly
On 5 June, IOC Executive Board member Kirsty Coventry spoke at the United Nations General Assembly High-Level Debate on “Crime Prevention and Sustainable Development through Sports” in New York. She emphasised the vital role that sport can play as an important enabler for the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in particular by promoting peace, fostering community development and preventing youth crime. During her speech, Coventry also highlighted the joint work between the IOC and UNODC on safeguarding sport from corruption. Read more.
Meeting of Task Force on Good Governance
The IPACS Task Force on Good Governance met virtually on 10 June to discuss the dissemination opportunities of the IPACS Sport Governance Benchmark and prevention tools at national level; and the role AI can play in fighting corruption in sport. Regarding the latter, the Task Force members were briefed on the dedicated workshop held during SportAccord in April. In view of the growing relevance of AI and following the recent launch of the Olympic AI Agenda, they also discussed the potential creation of an IPACS working group on AI.
UNODC meeting on safeguarding major sports events from corruption
On 13 June, the IOC participated in a UNODC meeting, which followed up on a previous event held in Atlanta (USA) on 12 December, the theme of which was “Safeguarding sport from corruption: Focus on the 2026 FIFA World Cup and 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles”. The meeting served to review the implementation of a related report outlining key conclusions, recommendations and follow-up actions for the participating stakeholders. IPACS was one of the key initiatives presented by the IOC and highlighted as critical by many other participants when speaking about preventing corruption at major sports events.
Second good governance webinar for IOC-recognised sports organisations
The second webinar on good governance aimed at IOC-recognised sports organisations was held on 19 June and focused on implementing Dimension B (integrity ) of the IPACS Sport Governance Benchmark and the updated Basic Universal Principles of Good Governance within the Olympic Movement (BUPGG). During the meeting, the 60 participants from more than 30 IFs received specific recommendations and guidance and also took the opportunity to exchange experiences with each other. The subsequent webinars, scheduled for September and December, will address democracy, and development and solidarity – following the thematic streams of the IPACS Sport Governance Benchmark.
What’s next?
The IPACS Steering Committee (STC) will meet on 2 July to discuss the latest activities of the Task Forces, assess the progress made and review the advocacy and awareness-raising measures undertaken during the first six months of the year. The STC will also plan details of the Annual General Conference to take place in October and discuss the strategic promotion of IPACS for the next six months and beyond.
IPACS will also join the 11th Commonwealth Sports Ministers meeting, to be chaired by Canada on 25 July in Paris, just before the official opening of the Olympic Games. The focus will be on good governance in sport. The IPACS Sport Governance Benchmark will be highlighted during a session on “Implementing Good Governance and Human Rights Frameworks”. A call to action will be issued to the 56 countries of the Commonwealth, urging them to make optimum use of this pragmatic and highly effective tool.
Finally, a new guide is in the making! Task Force 4, which looks after the cooperation between criminal justice authorities, law enforcement and sports organisations, is in the process of kicking off work on a new guide, aimed at strengthening the legislative studies around the prosecution of bribery and other acts of corruption in sport. The guide will be published in 2025.