The Caribbean Association of National Olympic Committees (CANOC) became the latest organisation to adopt the Sport Integrity Global Alliance’s (SIGA’s) Universal Standards on Sunday, in a demonstration of CANOC’s commitment to upholding and implementing the highest standards across good governance, financial integrity and sports betting integrity. The decision was made on Sunday 23 October, at CANOC’s General Assembly, one day following the annual CANOC Workshop that addressed Governance, and which featured presentations by ICSS personnel, Emanuel Medeiros and Katie Simmonds
CANOC represents 26 organisations that includes 20 of the world’s 206 National Olympic Committees (NOCs) and was founded in 1999 to coordinate the development of sport and Olympism in the Caribbean region. In addition to adopting the draft set of SIGA Universal Standards, CANOC will work closely with SIGA to provide training, education and capacity building for all its NOCs, in order to share best practice and facilitate the effective implementation of the Universal Standards. As part of the agreed implementation plan, CANOC and SIGA will host a workshop in Barranquilla, Colombia at the beginning of 2017.
The draft set of SIGA Universal Standards was approved at the SIGA General Assembly in September. The highly-respected multi-industry experts that comprise SIGA’s membership drafted the Universal Standards over six months, drawing on the best practice and guidance currently available to the sports industry. SIGA has now embarked on an extensive collaborative phase, during which it will meet and consult with as many sports organisations as possible to identify areas where its Universal Standards can be strengthened and improved. CANOC will be one such organisation, before SIGA launches the final draft of Standards and its suggested road map towards implementation and adoption at the start of next year.
The SIGA Council said:
“We are delighted that CANOC has agreed to adopt the SIGA Universal Standards. CANOC has been a supporter of SIGA from the outset and shares our belief that there remains considerable scope to foster improvement in the way sport is governed. SIGA looks forward to working closely with CANOC to deliver what has been promised: credible reforms in a framework of mutual respect and enhanced cooperation for the benefit of sport in the Caribbean and beyond.”
“SIGA fully understands that it is by no means alone in working to deliver a step change in sporting integrity: while SIGA is very pleased with the current set of Universal Standards we know there is room for improvement, by listening to and learning from organisations operating throughout the sports industry. We hope that CANOC will be the first of many sports organisations that will commit to working with SIGA, so that together we can bring about real, lasting positive change for the benefit of everyone in the sports industry.”
Commenting on CANOC’s decision shortly after being appointed ad interim President of CANOC, Brian Lewis, said:
“CANOC must lead from in front in respect of good governance reform and modernisation. A close cooperation and partnership with SIGA is a tremendous boost in respect of capacity building. CANOC’s strategic action plan, of which the collaboration with SIGA is a part, is now set to significantly strengthen efforts to drive governance reform throughout Caribbean sport.”
Notes to Editors
SIGA is an independent and neutral coalition of more than 70 international multi-industry supporters. It is the only organisation to bring together sport, governments, academia, international organisations, sponsors, business, rights holders, NGOs and professional services companies, from every region in the world, around a common cause of fostering greater integrity throughout sport.
SIGA’s members and supporters include MasterCard, Deloitte, the European Professional Football Leagues, Dow Jones, PwC, the World Bank, the International Centre for Sport Security, the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, the Commonwealth Games Federation, the Caribbean Association of National Olympic Committees, the Spanish Football League, the Portuguese Olympic Committee and esports.
SIGA Ad interim Council
Composition
Coordinator:
Emanuel Macedo de Medeiros
CEO, ICSS Europe & Latin America
From SPORT:
Lars-Christer Olsson
Chairman, European Professional Football Leagues (EPFL)
Jason Ferguson
Chairman, World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association
Brian Lewis
President, Trinidad & Tobago Olympic Committee and Member of the Executive Board of the Caribbean Association of National Olympic Committees (CANOC)
From GOVERNMENTS:
Shellie Pfohl
Executive Director, United States President’s Council on Fitness, Sport & Nutrition
From INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATIONS:
Leonard McCarthy
Vice President Integrity, World Bank
David Luna
Chairman, OECD Task Force on Countering Illicit Trade
Rick McDonell
Former Executive Secretary, Financial Action Task Force (FATF) / Executive Director, Association of Chartered Anti-Money Laundering Specialists (ACAMS)
From COMMERCIAL PARTNERS:
Michael Robichaud
Senior Vice President, Global Sponsorships, MasterCard
Salam Al Shawa
Senior Vice President Marketing and Corporate Communications, Qatar Airways
Simon Greenberg
Head of Dow Jones Sport
From NGOs:
Mohammed Hanzab
President, International Centre for Sport Security
Prof. Mark Pieth
Chairman, Basel Governance Institute
Prof. Laurent Vidal
Professor of Law, University Pantheon 1 Paris – Sorbonne
From PRIVATE SERVICES INDUSTRY:
James Cottrell
Partner, Deloitte Advisory Services
Pedro Machado
Partner, Financial Services Risk and Regulation Advisory, PwC