WADA participates in 2024 Annual General Meeting of Caribbean Regional Anti-Doping Organization

Last week, members of WADA’s staff were in St. George’s, Grenada to attend the 2024 Annual General Meeting of the Caribbean Regional Anti-Doping Organization (Caribbean RADO). 

The meeting, which took place between 7-9 June, convened representatives of the Caribbean RADO’s 18 member countries. It was an opportunity for the members to evaluate the Caribbean RADO’s activities through its Annual Operational Plan, present and discuss member country activities and updates, coordinate stakeholder strategies in each country, and discuss future projects and objectives. 

WADA’s participation in this year’s meeting follows the Agency’s commitment to the Latin America and Caribbean region during President Witold Bańka’s visit to Kingston, Jamaica in January 2024, where WADA pledged additional resources to facilitate more anti-doping activities. Following the meeting, WADA staff travelled to Barbados, where they will spend a few days at the Caribbean RADO’s head office to build out a plan for program development in the region. 

Director of WADA’s Latin America and Caribbean office, Francisco León, said: “WADA was pleased to be in Grenada last week for the 2024 Annual General Meeting of the Caribbean Regional Anti-Doping Organization. The meeting offered member countries an opportunity to reflect on the past year while setting the stage for the future. Supporting regional stakeholders in developing their anti-doping programs is a key element of WADA’s mission.  

“This past January, WADA pledged to increase its financial contribution to the Caribbean. While financial support will make a tangible impact, equally important are the testing and education resources made available to the member countries in the region. Our hope is that the meeting provided representatives with additional tools and knowledge that they can implement in their respective countries.” 

WADA also contributed to the capacity-building workshop that took place during the meeting, which included: 

• Training sessions on risk assessment and test distribution planning; 
• Preparations for the Caribbean RADO strategic cycle 2025-2030; and 
• Country-specific strategic planning related to clean sport and national anti-doping programs. 

Patrick Werleman, Chairman of the Caribbean RADO, said: “This is an extremely important meeting for us as we prepare to enter a new strategic cycle. In charting the way forward for the Caribbean RADO and our member countries, we want to bolster clean sport in the region through continued support for building capacity in anti-doping and maintaining compliance with the Code and the UNESCO International Convention.  We welcome the participation of WADA’s representatives as it provides further guidance and insight on international expectations and standards. We look forward to engaging with them on how we can continue to work together in meeting those international benchmarks.  

“WADA’s commitment to the region is evident, building on President Bańka’s visit earlier this year and the work of the Athlete Engagement team for the 2024 CARIFTA Games in March. We are back here in Grenada this week, and we want to thank our hosts for their hospitality and their commitment to clean sport locally, especially in light of their increasing international success in athletics, ahead of Paris 2024. We are proud of our region, but there is still a lot more work to be done.” 

The WADA team also paid a visit to the Grenada Olympic Committee (GOC) at its headquarters in St. George’s. The meeting featured discussions regarding the role and responsibilities of the National Olympic Committee, the importance of the support of the GOC to the National Anti-Doping Organization (NADO) and their joint efforts to protect and promote clean sport in Grenada. 

About WADA’s RADO Program 

WADA’s Regional Anti-Doping Organization Program was created to strengthen the protection of clean sport by developing innovative anti-doping strategies in less resourced countries. The Program supports NADOs and National Olympic Committees (NOCs) acting as NADOs with funding, training and ongoing anti-doping assistance. The RADO Program currently assists 12 RADOs and 119 countries across the world. The RADO Program Strategy aims to support the development of anti-doping programs in RADO member countries through a regional and collaborative approach.