WADA Executive Committee takes a number of decisions prior to sixth World Conference on Doping in Sport in Busan

Today, the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA’s) Executive Committee met prior to the start of the sixth World Conference on Doping in Sport in Busan, Republic of Korea, which will engage stakeholders in high-level discussion and debate about the global anti-doping program between 1-5 December and usher in the next edition of the World Anti-Doping Code (Code) and related International Standards. The ExCo met to deliberate a number of decisions and make recommendations to the Foundation Board, which will meet on 5 December. The main decisions from the ExCo meeting are outlined below. 

At the conclusion of the meeting, WADA President, Witold Bańka, said: “I would like to take this opportunity to thank the members of WADA’s Executive Committee for their engagement today, which sets the tone for what will be a historic week here in Busan for WADA’s 2025 World Conference on Doping in Sport.  I am confident that the decisions taken by the ExCo today will positively impact athletes and the global anti-doping community in the months and years to come. We look forward to the ExCo reconvening on 5 December with the Foundation Board, which will result in the Board’s adoption of the 2027 World Anti-Doping Code and the ExCo’s approval of the related International Standards.” 

2027 World Anti-Doping Code and International Standards  

During the meeting, the ExCo received a final overview of the Code and International Standards update process, which included more than 5,000 comments from stakeholders across all Code and Standards consultations, along with inputs from around 600 athletes from more than 60 countries and 70 sports through an Athlete-Centered Consultation which was launched in April 2025. 

Richard Young, the Chair of WADA’s Code drafting team, was on hand to answer questions and ensure that members felt prepared to recommend to the Board that it approve the Code.  

WADA Director General, Olivier Niggli, said: “I would like to take this opportunity to commend and thank all of our stakeholders who played a role in the 2027 World Anti-Doping Code and International Standards update process. This week is the conclusion of an extensive, multi-year collaboration between athletes from around the world, the anti-doping community, the Olympic Movement and the Public Authorities. The result of this process is not just a new version of the Code and updated International Standards – it represents a broad consensus on the direction that the protection of clean sport should take for the next years, agreed upon as a collective.”  

Compliance with the World Anti-Doping Code 

The ExCo approved the recommendation from the Compliance Review Committee (CRC) to add the Uzbekistan National Anti-Doping Organization (NADO) to the compliance ‘watchlist’, giving the NADO four months to address outstanding non-conformities. The Uzbekistan NADO has been added to the ‘watchlist’ in relation to several outstanding critical requirements following an audit carried out by WADA in February 2025.   

The Uzbekistan NADO submitted a corrective action plan explaining to the satisfaction of the CRC how they intend to address the non-conformities within four-months therefore meeting the criteria of the ‘watchlist’ as stated in Article 8.4.5 of the ISCCS. By being placed on the ‘watchlist’, if the Uzbekistan NADO fails to correct its outstanding non-conformities within the timeline, as per Article 8.4.5 of the ISCCS, WADA shall automatically send a formal notice alleging non-compliance and proposing consequences and reinstatement conditions.   

Governance 

In anticipation of the end of the term of Jiri Kejval, who will have reached the maximum number of years of service on the ExCo on 31 December 2025, the ExCo appointed a current member of the Finance and Administration Committee (FAC), Dagmawit Girmay Berhane, as the ExCo representative on the Risk and Audit Committee (RAC). To replace Ms. Berhane on the FAC¹ the ExCo approved the appointment of Petra Sörling, who is also a member of WADA’s Foundation Board. Ms Sörling will fulfil the remainder of Ms. Berhane’s term (1 January 2026 to 31 December 2027). 

The ExCo also approved the recommendation of WADA’s Nominations Committee (NomsComm) to appoint Marc Leu of Switzerland as new Independent Member of the CRC, for a three-year term beginning on 1 January 2026 (until 31 December 2028). 

The ExCo decided to reappoint Anna Mguni to WADA’s Education Committee, as well as to appoint Jocelyn East and Marco Wonneberger. It reappointed Prof. Xavier Bigard and Dr. Malav Shroff to WADA’s Health, Medical and Research Committee, and appointed Dr. Richard Budgett. These appointments and reappointments will all become effective on 1 January 2026 and will be for three-year terms. 

The ExCo also approved amendments proposed by the FAC to its Terms of Reference, to come into effect on 1 January 2026. The amendments will clarify the goals and objectives of the FAC and provide for a specific out-of-session notification protocol that ensures the FAC is kept informed of key financial issues. 

Lastly, the ExCo also approved the NomsComm’s non-binding recommendation to make the following appointments to the International Testing Agency (ITA) Foundation Board, for entry in office on 1 January 2026:  

• Jacques Antenen as Independent Chair (in replacement of Dr. Valérie Fourneyron); 
• Ingmar De Vos as representative of the International Federations (in replacement of Francesco Ricci Bitti); and 
• Prof. Dr. Mao Lijuan as Independent Member (in replacement of Prof. Dr. Peijie Chen). 

International Standard for Testing and Investigations  

The ExCo approved amendments to the current International Standard for Testing and Investigations (ISTI), which will come into effect on 1 April 2026.

Following recommendations from WADA’s Haematological Athlete Biological Passport Working Group and discussions with the 2027 International Standard for Testing (IST) Drafting Team and the Strategic Testing Expert Advisory Group (STEAG), the wait time for athletes providing a blood sample for the hematological module of the ABP after training or competition will be reduced from two hours to 60 minutes in the ISTI. In addition, the 60-minute wait post training and competition and prior to collection will also apply to all blood samples collected in a serum tube, including the different modules of the ABP. 

Given that the reduction in wait time is a significant benefit for both athletes and sample collection personnel, this procedural change will be expedited for implementation earlier than 1 January 2027, when other updates take effect in the 2027 IST. Such changes will therefore come into effect on 1 April 2026. 

2025 Scientific Research Projects (Cycle 3) 

The ExCo approved funding recommendations for research proposals for WADA’s 2025 Cycle 3 call for scientific research grants. A total of 10 projects were selected for funding, from a total of 35 expressions of interest that led to the receipt of 16 full applications, amounting to USD 1,100,112. Details of these projects will be published on WADA’s website in the coming months once the individual contracts are signed.  

Technical Documents 

The ExCo approved four new Technical Documents (TDs) related to the International Standard for Laboratories (ISL), namely: 

• ISL TD2027ATP (Analytical Testing Procedures);  
• ISL TD2027EQAS (External Quality Assessment Scheme);   
• ISL TD2027PERF (Laboratory Performance Evaluation); and 
• ISL TD2027VAL (Minimum Requirements for Validation of Analytical Testing  
• Procedures for Doping Control) 

These new TDs are based on different sections of the current 2021 ISL that have been further expanded to incorporate new technical requirements. Therefore, early approval will provide Laboratories and WADA with sufficient time to coordinate their implementation along with the 2027 ISL, which will enter into force 1 January 2027. 

The ExCo also approved version 11.0 of the Technical Document for Sport Specific Analysis (TDSSA), which will come into effect on 1 January 2026. The updated TDSSA will be published and circulated to all Anti-Doping Organizations shortly.  

Laboratories 

The ExCo followed the recommendation of the Laboratory Expert Advisory Group (Lab EAG) and approved the decision to grant WADA accreditation to the Shanghai Anti-Doping Laboratory (SAL), located in Shanghai, China. The laboratory had already been approved in September 2024 to conduct blood analyses exclusively in support of the Athlete Biological Passport (ABP).  

The ExCo also followed the Lab EAG recommendation to grant Candidate Laboratory Status and Athlete Biological Passport (ABP) Candidate laboratory status to the Saudi Anti-Doping Laboratory, located in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. 

Recommendations to Foundation Board 

Additionally, the ExCo recommended to the Board  approval of WADA’s 2026 budget and the 2026-2028 budget forecast, as well as amendments to the Terms of Reference of WADA’s Risk and Audit Committee. The Board will convene for its annual meeting on the afternoon of Friday 5 December in Busan. 

Future Meetings   

As noted, the ExCo and Board will meet again on the morning of 5 December 2025 to approve the International Standards and Code, respectively. The Board’s annual session will be held in the afternoon of 5 December 2025. 

WADA ExCo and Board meetings in 2026: 

Baku, Azerbaijan  

• 17-18 March 2026, ExCo   

Buenos Aires, Argentina   

• 10-11 September 2026, ExCo   

Manama, Bahrain  

• 24-25 November 2026, ExCo   
• 26 November 2026, Board 

¹ As per WADA’s Governance Regulations, members of the RAC cannot also be members of the FAC.