Montreal, Canada — The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) announces that it has received expressions of interest from  Muscat (Oman), Katowice (Poland), and Geneva (Switzerland) to host the next World Conference on Doping in Sport, which the Agency has  called for November 2019.
“WADA is delighted to have received such a strong level of interest from three outstanding cities for what promises to be a crucial World Conference on Doping in Sport,” said WADA President, Sir Craig Reedie. “The World Conference will represent the culmination of active stakeholder consultation that is already underway concerning WADA’s path forward as it relates to compliance, governance and other matters of importance to clean sport. We look forward to appointing the host city during our May 2017 Foundation Board meeting,” added Reedie.
With the 25 November deadline for submissions now passed, the Agency will evaluate the submissions, before possible site visits are conducted; and, finally, a vote will take place during WADA’s Foundation Board meeting on 12 May 2017.
It should be noted that, during the 20 November 2016 Foundation Board, Board Members agreed to formation of three Working Groups to 1) review the Agency’s governance structure; 2) review the lab accreditation process; and, 3) evaluate establishing an Independent Testing Authority (ITA). It was further agreed that these Groups are to report back at the next Foundation Board meeting in May 2017 and be completed by November 2017. As such, the Board upheld that a World Conference be organized for end-2019 with the timing being revisited at the end of 2017 in light of the progress of the Working Groups.
The 2019 World Conference will be the fifth event of its kind, following in the footsteps of those held in: Lausanne (Switzerland) in February 1999; Copenhagen (Denmark) in March 2003; Madrid (Spain) in November 2007; and Johannesburg (South Africa) in November 2013.
