Remarks by Sport, Arts and Culture Minister Honourable N.G Kodwa at the Ninth session of the Conference of Parties (COP9) to the International Convention against Doping in Sport, 25 October 2023
Honourable Chair, Minsters of Sport, Distinguished Delegates
Congratulations Minister Matar on your election as the Bureau Chair of COP9.
I would like to commend State Parties for the high rate of compliance to the Convention. I welcome the process and mechanisms of the Convention that require governments to implement mechanisms for compliance. South Africa will continue to support these mechanisms and would like to encourage UNESCO to improve and strengthen its compliance mechanism, so that compliance matters that affect anti-doping legislation are identified and corrected through compliance to the Convention. The role of public authorities in the anti-doping ecosystem will then be much clearer.
This sentiment is based on my expressed discomfort with the WADA Code Compliance process where a non-governmental entity has the temerity to instruct a public authority on how to craft national legislation and stipulate timelines. This process is surely policy over-reach by WADA to Public Authorities. Governments are signatories to the Convention, not the Code. Public Authorities should be held accountable to the principles of the Convention. Non-compliances to the Convention should be resolved through a collaborative and flexible approach that respects the sovereignty and unique legislative process of governments.
I would like to urge the Bureau to strengthen the monitoring and implementation of the Convention by further refining compliance through assigning responsibilities where it belongs, vis-à-vis governments vs non-governmental role-players. Compliance to the Convention and to the World Anti-doping Code needs to be co-ordinated and harmonized between UNESCO and WADA to efficiently leverage resources.
Thank You!
