On 12 June, hosted in Bergen, Norway, the high-level conference for European National Anti-Doping Organisations (NADOs) was co-organised by the Council of Europe and Anti-Doping Norway, with the participation of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).
The event was attended by 34 NADO leaders and senior WADA officials, including WADA President Witold Bańka. They discussed a variety of key themes while also promoting the sharing of good practices and lessons learned, facilitating cooperation and dialogue between European NADOs and strengthening collaboration between European NADOs and WADA.
Marking over 35 years of the Council of Europe's work in clean sport through its Anti-Doping Convention, the Deputy Secretary General, Bjørn Berge, emphasised the importance of NADOs and cooperation with a wide range of stakeholders. He observed that "clean sport is not a slogan. It is a human right. It is a public good. And it is our shared responsibility."
In his opening remarks, WADA President Bańka addressed the importance of a transparent and athlete-centred anti-doping system, highlighting that "NADOs are at the heart of the anti-doping system. Each organisation has a critical role to play in clean sport and for athletes around the world."
The conclusions of the high-level event will be drawn from the discussions and shared with all participants over the coming weeks.
Speech by Deputy Secretary General Bjørn Berge
