ASEAN signs anti-doping cooperation pact

Secretary-General of ASEAN Dato Lim Jock Hoi, President of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Witold Banka, and WADA Director-General Olivier Niggli have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the cooperation in the fight against the use of illegal substances in sport.

The signing ceremony took place virtually on March 14 on the sidelines of the 17th Asia/Oceania Region Intergovernmental Ministerial Meeting on Anti-Doping in Sport and was witnessed by sports ministers and leaders of National Anti-Doping Organisations (NADOs) from ASEAN member states.

Spearheaded by Singapore in its capacity as the Chair of the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Sports, the MoU was supported by the Southeast Asian Regional Anti-Doping Organisation (SEARADO). Its development, which spanned a period of close to 1.5 years, marks the establishment of a formal cooperation between the two entities to prevent doping in sports across the region.

The three-year agreement will guide ASEAN and WADA in promoting the protection of the integrity of sport by preventing doping and promoting a commitment to the concepts of ethics in sports and fair play in ASEAN.

The scope of collaboration includes the implementation of the UNESCO International Convention against Doping in Sport; review and harmonisation of national anti-doping policies and programmes with the World Anti-Doping Programme and models of best practice; and support for the operational independence and sustainability of NADOs; among others.

In his remarks, Secretary-General of ASEAN Dato Lim said he is confident that the engagement will enable the bloc to better harness its human capital to prevent doping in the region, as well as create a fair and equitable playing environment for all athletes./.

VNA