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WADA announces signing of Intelligence and Investigations agreements between Latin American and European partners

Shaking hands

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) is pleased to announce that its Latin America and Caribbean Office facilitated the formalization of three partnerships between six National Anti-Doping Organizations (NADOs) from the Americas and Europe, through the signing of multiple Memorandums of Understanding (MOU). 

The MOUs were signed between: 

  • National Anti-Doping Unit of Ecuador (UNADE) and the Anti-Doping Agency of Serbia (ADAS); 
  • Comisión Nacional Antidopaje del Peru (Peru NADO) and the Hellenic Antidoping Agency (HADA); and 
  • Jamaica Anti-Doping Commission (JADCO) and the Anti-Doping Agency of Lithuania (Lithuania NADO). 

The objective of the project is to establish a network of system partners for NADOs across Latin America and the Caribbean. This network will leverage regional and global expertise to enhance capacity and capabilities in key anti-doping areas, guided by a needs-based and impact-driven approach. 

During the preliminary phase of the project in 2025, the primary focus has been on strengthening Intelligence and Investigations (I&I) capabilities. This effort has been supported by trained European NADOs, contributing specialized knowledge and practical experience to build regional proficiency. 

The European NADOs have developed a strong I&I foundation, in part through WADA’s European I&I Capability and Capacity Building Project, and have already played a significant role in a number of successful operations that have dismantled illegal laboratories and led to significant seizures and arrests. 

Director of WADA’s Latin America and Caribbean Office, Francisco León, said: “WADA is enthusiastic about what these partnerships can do for the development and growth of the NADOs in Ecuador, Peru and Jamaica. The partners have already begun their work in earnest, and we look forward to fruitful outcomes in the months and years ahead. 

“I would also like to commend the Serbian, Greek and Lithuanian NADOs for their commitment to developing anti-doping capacity around the world. We have championed the importance of collaborative efforts for many years, and we are confident that these agreements will make a tangible impact and serve as good examples for other NADOs around the world to follow.” 

The NADOs will work collaboratively through several meetings over the course of this year, with WADA monitoring the progression and activities outlined in the MOUs. A number of these meetings have already taken place virtually, and some are tentatively scheduled to be held in person, including during the 2025 World Conference on Doping in Sport, which will take place in Busan, Republic of Korea, from 1-5 December. 

As part of WADA’s broader efforts to advance I&I, the project also represents a preparatory step in advance of the expansion of the Global Anti-Doping Intelligence and Investigations network to the Americas in 2026-2027, and the WADA Regional Symposium that will be held in Lima, Peru, in July 2026.