WADA removes National Anti-Doping Organization of Gabon from World Anti-Doping Code non-compliant list

Following a circulatory vote of its Executive Committee (ExCo) that ended on 5 January, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) removed, with immediate effect, the National Anti-Doping Organization (NADO) of Gabon from the list of Signatories that are non-compliant with the World Anti-Doping Code (Code). 

The non-compliance was the result of its failure to fully implement the 2021 version of the Code within its legal system. On 17 November 2022, WADA’s ExCo endorsed the recommendation of the independent Compliance Review Committee (CRC) to add the Gabon NADO to the Code compliance ‘watchlist’.  

As per the International Standard for Code Compliance by Signatories (ISCCS), by adding it to the ‘watchlist’, the ExCo gave the Gabon NADO four months to execute its corrective action plan. This four-month deadline passed without the non-conformity having been corrected to the satisfaction of the CRC. As per Article 9.2.3 of the ISCCS, on 20 March 2023, WADA sent the Gabon NADO a formal notice of non-compliance. This non-compliance became effective on 11 April 2023 after the Gabon NADO chose not to challenge the allegation as it could have done in line with Article 9.3.1 of the ISCCS. 

On 12 December 2023, WADA received the confirmation that the required amendments to Gabon’s legislation had been adopted and subsequently entered into force. In line with the ISCCS, the Gabon NADO has therefore successfully fulfilled the condition of reinstatement and has therefore been removed from the list of non-compliant Signatories. 

There are currently four non-compliant Code Signatories. They are the NADOs of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and Russia, as well as the Olympic Council of Asia and the International Fitness and Bodybuilding Federation.     

For more information on the Code Signatories and the consequences, please visit the ‘Global list of non-compliant signatories and applicable consequences’ page of WADA’s website. While WADA will monitor the implementation of the consequences, other Signatories to the Code must recognize and implement the consequences in full.