The Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee (TTOC) has joined the Sport Integrity Global Alliance (SIGA) following a meeting at the Museo del Prado in Madrid.
The SIGA was launched in Spain’s capital by International Centre for Sport Security (ICSS) Europe, with whom the TTOC - represented by its President Brian Lewis - have signed a Memorandum of Understanding.
ICSS Europe is a global, independent and not-for-profit organisation, whose mandate is to enhance sport governance, financial integrity and transparency by protecting the highest standards of governance in sports organisations.
The move to join the SIGA continues the TTOC’s effort to improve sport integrity and governance.
The organisation is expected to approve the inclusion of a good governance commitment in its constitution during its Annual General Meeting at Olympic House in Port of Spain on April 30.
More than 50 leading organisations from across all sectors of the industry gathered in Madrid to push forward the SIGA.
As an independent and neutral coalition involving international stakeholders from across multiple industry sectors, the SIGA has been launched with the sole purpose of protecting the integrity of sport and will work to drive forward key reforms across good governance and financial transparency in sport.
The development of the SIGA follows increasing calls, from stakeholders across all corners of industry involved in and supporting sport, for the establishment of a global, independent and neutral sport integrity body.
Senior representatives from more than 40 of the organisations represented also pledged for the first time, to support the development of the SIGA and a more formal global sport integrity body.
Alongside this, the alliance has also signed a Declaration of Core Principles on Sport Integrity - a set of 12 overarching principles.
If fully adopted throughout the industry, it is claimed these principles would see the implementation of the highest of standards on good governance, financial and sport-betting integrity in sport.
"To achieve the kind of deep reforms needed and meet peoples' demands and expectations, sport needs the support from the international community of stakeholders, including commercial partners, governments, NGOs (Non-governmental organisations), international organisations and other key representatives," said Emanuel Macedo de Medeiros, chief executive of ICSS Europe.
"That is why this wide community of leaders and like-minded organisations have called for a sport integrity global alliance.
"An alliance committed to achieving the highest levels of integrity, transparency and accountability in sport.
"This is our indeclinable duty.
"To sport and the wider society it serves."