International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) President Sebastian Coe has promised that the reforms he is planning to introduce before the end of the year will make the world governing body a “leader in sport”.
Coe introduced a governance review following his election in Beijing last August and they have coincided with the biggest crisis in the sport’s history following the arrest of his predecessor Lamine Diack over allegations he took payments for deferring sanctions against Russian athletes who had failed drugs tests.
A report from the World Anti-Doping Agency Independent Commission has also led to the suspension of Russia from international competition, putting in jeopardy their participation at this year’s Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.
The package of reforms is currently being worked on and are due to be adopted following a Extraordinary Congress here in November or December.
Among the proposals is an agreement to set up an ethical compliance group and recruit a leading official to oversee it.
A new Integrity Unit will also be set up to ensure greater independence in the anti-doping process.
Part of the reform package includes a financial review of the IAAF by Former British Government Minister Paul Deighton, who worked alongside Coe as chief executive of London 2012.
“We have taken time to look closely at the lessons we can draw from the past,” said Coe at the end of a two-day meeting of the IAAF Council here.
“My aim is for the IAAF to be a leader in sport and the reforms we have agreed today will help us do that.
“Council gave unanimous agreement to put in place the checks and balances and transparent structures required.”
The drive to make the IAAF more transparent and accountable follows the launch last month by the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations of a “new and comprehensive” set of governance principles.
Five key principles of transparency, integrity, democracy, sport development and solidarity and control mechanisms were highlighted by ASOIF, with each to be implemented by International Federations through 10 “simple and measurable” indicators.
Details of the indicators have not yet been released.
Research conducted by insidethegames last December revealed that the IAAF are among 14 of the 28 members of ASOIF who do not publish their financial accounts on an annual basis.
- By Duncan Mackay at the Fairmont Hotel in Monte Carlo
- Republished with permission insidethegames.biz