OM Unit PMC on the road
The OM Unit PMC has recently taken part in a number of events in order to share its know-how with other experts and contribute to policy discussions about the prevention of competition manipulation.
Council of Europe
Through its observer status, the OM Unit PMC joined the 5th meeting of the Follow-Up Committee of the Council of Europe Convention on the Manipulation of Sport Competitions, held on 20 October in Strasbourg (France). The Unit was provided with the opportunity to deliver a short presentation on the latest activities of the Olympic Movement in this important field.
During the session, it was reported that, most recently, the Convention has been signed by North Macedonia and Turkey. In addition, the Unit followed the discussions on data protection and info sharing with particular interest. The Committee decided to propose to the states a model provision that will facilitate the sharing of account-based information. The OM Unit PMC also learnt about a new initiative, aimed at creating a network of prosecutors, which dovetails well with the Unit’s new guide on the role of public prosecutors, currently being co-edited with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. Meanwhile, in November, the OM Unit PMC was invited to attend the first meeting of this network and give a presentation on the new guide.
Click here to view the full list of decisions taken during the 5th meeting of the Follow-Up Committee of the CoE Convention on the Manipulation of Sport Competitions.
One day before the Follow-Up Committee meeting, the CoE organised a conference entitled “Sports competitions manipulation in the digital era: better addressing it together”. Social media providers joined in to discuss how they could be part of the solution. During its presentation, the OM Unit PMC highlighted risks linked to social media, i.e. that it provides channels for organised crime networks to infiltrate sport and approach athletes. Digital platforms need to understand the nature of the phenomenon and the challenges that sports organisations are facing in keeping their competitions clean. They should be ready to cooperate with sports organisations to find solutions.
UNODC workshops
Also in October, the IOC delivered presentations on the prevention of competition manipulation and on IPACS at two workshops organised by the UNODC in Paraguay and New Zealand. Both workshops focused on tackling corruption in sport. The event in Asunción (Paraguay) was co-organised with the national government and football governing bodies. Likewise, the workshop in Auckland (New Zealand) was designed for selected governments and sports organisations from the Pacific region and supported by FIFA and World Rugby. Prior to the event, the OM Unit PMC invited a number of NOCs in the region to attend. Closely aligned with this initiative, the OM Unit PMC will hold a webinar for NOCs in the Pacific region on 8 December.
Integrisport Next Project
In November, the IOC represented the OM Unit PMC at the Closing Conference of the Integrisport Next Project on Sports Manipulations and Criminal Activities behind Sport, coordinated by the CSCF Foundation for Sport Integrity and co-funded by the European Commission through the Erasmus+ Sport Programme. The IntegriSport concept was conceived as a response to the need for in-depth knowledge about the sports manipulation of a stakeholder group that is not traditionally linked to sport – the national law enforcement and judicial sector. The project was supported by INTERPOL and considered a complementary part of the IOC-INTERPOL programme. Learn more here.