The Swiss Olympic concept for a new reporting office does everything that has been seen so far in terms of independence.
There are already rules for ethical behavior in sports. So far, it is the sports federations themselves who have been able to assess malpractices within their own ranks and, if necessary, approve them. Which should be changed now. With a newly established “Swiss Sport Integrity” Foundation, the Swiss want to deal with the ethics issue in Olympic sports as a fight against doping consistently and independently.
Because anti-doping already has functioning and accredited structures, the reporting office is located in anti-doping Switzerland. It is to create a new “Swiss Sport Integrity”, so to speak, a body that takes care of the reliability of the sport.
Anonymous report to a national authority
Many types of actors such as athletes, trainers, spectators or parents may report violations anonymously (moral violations, misconduct / misuse, doping violations). The reporting office investigates the case and decides whether it will be dealt with or, if necessary, given to the police. The affairs of the reporting office are independently investigated and a report is dealt with.
Like doping cases, reports from the reporting office will now be passed to a disciplinary body. Independently of individual associations, the chamber decides on the restrictions that must be enforced. These restrictions can be challenged in the international sports court.
It was clear that something had to happen.
The newly created reporting authority is particularly influential in the context of independence. Swiss Olympics director Roger Schneig says: “We are delighted that we have found a way. All the actors pull in the same direction.” In particular, according to the Maglingen Protocol, a national reporting office was required. « We had a huge tailwind for this idea. It was obvious that something had to happen, “the 52-year-old said.
Only three other countries, Finland, Australia and Canada, have similar models of reporting violations. Now Switzerland is also trying a project that is being followed with great interest in Holland, Austria and other Scandinavian countries.
New Code of Conduct in Counseling
A general code of conduct is required as a basis for the new reporting office. All are challenged, as Switzerland is a world leader here and simply cannot take precedents from other countries. In early May, the rules will be presented to all unions and sent for consultation. If the Sports Parliament adopts the Code of Conduct, the “Swiss Sport Integrity” can become active from 2022 onwards. The “Code of Conduct” is a set of rules that correspond practically to a law on the basis of which sanctions can be formulated.
Experience must be gained
The next step may be to include additional topics in Swiss Sport Integrity. Match fixing, ie agreed match manipulation, for example, is also a big and important subject at the international level. For now, however, you want to gain experience whether this and the new situation will prove itself or not.
The parties involved agree: The new model is a step in the right direction. But Schneig emphasized: “Everything is not achieved only with the registration office. Efforts are still needed, especially in prevention. “
