G20 High-Level Principles on Tackling Corruption in Sport
Sport is a source of inspiration and shared values, a factor of progress and human fulfilment that moves billions of people around the world. Sport is a fundamental driver for both economic growth and social inclusion, supporting the Sustainable Development Goals constituting the core of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
In addition, sport is a multibillion-dollar industry with intricate ties to public and private interests.
A modern and holistic approach should recognize and consider how new avenues of corruption thrive in sport, both on and off the field of play.
Corruption in sport has been acknowledged as an emerging risk area in the 2019-2021 G20 Anti- Corruption Working Group (ACWG) Action Plan.
The increasing relevance of corruption in both professional and amateur sport has inspired at the policy level several multilateral initiatives such as, among others, the adoption of a political declaration by the first-ever special session of the United Nations General Assembly against corruption on 2 June 2021, which refers to the importance of tackling corruption in sport and the adoption of resolutions 7/8, entitled “Corruption in Sport” and 8/4, entitled “Safeguarding Sport from Corruption”, by the Conference of the States Parties to the United Nations Convention against Corruption at its seventh and eighth session, in Vienna in 2017 and in Abu Dhabi in 2019.
The Italian G20 Presidency is aware of the need to tackle with growing international efforts the threat that corruption poses to the integrity of sport and will increase efforts to strengthen both the legal and policy framework affecting corruption in sport.
The G20 initiative in this regard bears a special responsibility to support the sport sector in mitigating corruption risks as well as being a catalyst for promoting ethical values, especially among the youth.
In this regard, the G20 may lead by example in addressing the challenge of corruption in sport by adopting the following G20 High-Level Principles on Tackling Corruption in Sport.
Principle 1:
“Gather information to develop an evidence-based understanding of and raise awareness on corruption in sport”
A comprehensive, evidence-based understanding of the nature, scale, scope and risks of multifaceted corruption in sport is key to the successful development and implementation of effective measures to tackle this problem. This also safeguards sport’s positive contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals.
G20 countries will endeavour to apply this principle by:
• Encouraging the collection and analysis of information, research and studies on corruption in sport, further analysing data to better understand the specific risks of this phenomenon in this sector, and widely disseminating this information for greater public awareness, as appropriate.
• Facilitating further research of corruption in sport, also when related to other economic crimes, especially in its organized forms, in order to better understand and tailor responses to the specific contexts, actors involved, challenges, risks and impact at the global, regional and national levels.
• Making the results of relevant analysis and research activities available to governments and sports organizations, including through the organization of meetings, seminars, workshops and conferences, as appropriate.
• Increasing the attention to and understanding of specific issues such as risks posed by corruption in sport to women, youth and children, as well as corruption barriers to the equal participation of all individuals in sports competitions and sport management.
• Utilizing this body of knowledge as the basis for more effective policies and measures to prevent and counter corruption in sport.
• Raising public awareness about the importance of tackling corruption in sport and promoting the active participation of the private sector, academia, civil society, youth and the media in the prevention of and fight against corruption in sport, consistent with domestic laws.
Principle 2:
“Strengthen legal and regulatory frameworks to address corruption in sport more effectively”
Protecting sport from corruption requires adequate legislation, regulations and enforcement thereof.
G20 countries will endeavour to apply this principle by:
• Criminalizing bribery and other forms of corruption involved in sports both in the public and private sector consistent with the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) and effectively enforcing these offences.
• Ensuring an effective use of existing legislation to prosecute criminal corruption in sport and, where applicable, the manipulation of sports competitions in connection with illegal gambling and illegal betting activities or, where appropriate, developing specific legislation to criminalize the manipulation of sports competitions in connection with illegal gambling and illegal betting, in accordance with international and domestic legislative principles.
• Enforcing relevant anti-money-laundering legislation and, where applicable, promoting compliance among gambling and betting operators.
• Developing, implementing or maintaining effective coordinated anti-corruption strategies, policies or practices in tackling corruption in sport.
Principle 3:
“Ensure effective law enforcement against corruption in sport”
Protecting sport from corruption at the international, regional, national and local levels requires specific competencies and expertise, as well as developing and implementing detection and reporting mechanisms.
G20 countries will endeavour to apply this principle by:
• Providing tailored training for law enforcement officials, corruption prevention and criminal justice authorities on preventing, detecting, investigating, and prosecuting corruption in sport, where appropriate.
• In accordance with domestic laws and regulations, encouraging betting operators to share information on suspicious betting with the relevant authorities, and publish information on shareholders, parent companies and subsidiaries, to facilitate effective investigations.
• Establishing or maintaining mechanisms for the reporting of corruption and effective protection of reporting persons, including in sport, in accordance with domestic legal frameworks.
Principle 4:
“Strengthen international cooperation among law enforcement, criminal justice and corruption prevention authorities, as well as lawmakers and policymakers to effectively tackle corruption in sport”
Given the international, regional and national manifestations of corruption in sport, it is essential to enhance cooperation and coordination mechanisms among law enforcement, criminal justice and other relevant authorities.
G20 countries will endeavour to apply this principle by:
• Supporting programmes, projects, task forces, expert groups and existing initiatives that promote and enhance cooperation and the exchange of information and good practices among law enforcement, criminal justice authorities and corruption prevention authorities, lawmakers and policymakers, including through, where appropriate, the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) Match Fixing Task Force, the OECD Global Network of Law Enforcement Officials against Transnational Bribery (GLEN), the UNODC Programme on Safeguarding Sport from Corruption and Crime, and the UNODC Global Operational Network of Anti-Corruption Law Enforcement Authorities (GlobE Network), in accordance with applicable domestic law.
• Ensuring that existing focal points, networks and competent authorities for international cooperation are active with a view to boosting international cooperation in this sector.
Principle 5:
“Tackle corruption in sport related to organized crime”
The infiltration of organized crime can exacerbate corruption in sport. G20 countries should tackle the potential exploitation of sport by criminal groups that use it for money-laundering, illicit gains and other illegal acts, linked to corruption within the framework of sport integrity as a whole.
G20 countries will endeavour to apply this principle by:
• Monitoring trends, typologies and reports, including emerging trends linked to digital technologies, to identify good practices aimed at tackling and addressing the threat posed by organized crime to sport. Additionally, identifying emerging risks and the use of new technologies in this regard, including its use as a channel to move the obtained proceeds.
• Improving their understanding of the potential risks related to organized crime and money-laundering.
• Developing and supporting international, regional and national activities, projects, programmes, and initiatives to prevent and counter the infiltration of organized crime that further exacerbates corruption in both professional and amateur sport.
• Supporting, promoting and strengthening cooperation and exchange of information and good practices on this topic between relevant competent authorities bilaterally and multilaterally, particularly in the framework of UNCAC and INTERPOL mechanisms.
• Providing witnesses and victims who give testimony concerning corruption offences related to organized crime, as well as, as appropriate, their relatives and other persons close to them, with effective protection from intimidation in line with article 32 of the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC).
Principle 6:
“Support sports organizations to enhance governance, transparency and accountability and ensure the integrity of major sports events, including associated procurement”
While recognizing that sports organizations have the rights and obligations of autonomy, it is key that:
• Sports organizations, both international as well as national, are supported to promote integrity and effectively tackle corruption in sport, in particular through strong governance and accountability.
• Sports organizations proactively and effectively cooperate to ensure the integrity of major sports events and the procurement of infrastructure, goods and services
G20 countries will endeavour to apply this principle by:
• Encouraging sports organizations and relevant private entities to ensure that specific risks related to governance and major sports events are assessed, where relevant, and encouraging the private entities and sports organizations to adopt anti-corruption ethics and compliance programmes, including, where appropriate, making use of beneficial ownership information and promoting transparency related to contractors, sponsors and licensing, in line with domestic laws.
• Encouraging sports organizations, taking into account their structure and size, to establish sufficient internal controls to assist in preventing and detecting acts of corruption and to require periodic reporting and independent auditing of those sports organizations that receive public funds and to develop codes of conduct and conflict of interest policies for relevant members and due diligence procedures for their partners.
• Promoting trust and cooperation between sports organizations, law enforcement, criminal justice and corruption prevention authorities to effectively prevent and detect corruption in sport.
• Providing, where appropriate and in line with domestic laws, and any risk-based arrangements, the regulation of professional activities of agents, intermediaries, advisers and representatives of athletes and the transfer of athletes between clubs, associations, and sports organizations, to prevent corrupt conduct and unethical behaviour and ensure financial transparency, also through the development and adoption of codes of conduct.
• Exploring ways to improve customer due diligence by financial institutions, consistent with applicable domestic laws and regulations, with respect to customers who exercise a prominent function in an international sports organization, particularly where such customers’ transactions pose a heightened risk of corruption, money-laundering and other financial crimes.
• Promoting compliance of all sports organizations with anti-corruption legislation, where relevant and applicable, and encouraging them to adhere to the highest integrity standards.