WADA removes 11 National Anti-Doping Organizations from compliance ‘watchlist’

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has removed 11 National Anti-Doping Organizations (NADOs) from a compliance ‘watchlist’ after they successfully addressed non-conformities with the World Anti-Doping Code (Code) in advance of their respective four-month deadlines.

Ten of the NADOs were given a deadline of 14 January 2022 to make the necessary improvements. They are from the following countries:

• Brussels Community of Belgium;
• Flemish Community of Belgium;
• French Community of Belgium;
• Greece;
• Iran;
• Latvia;
• Netherlands;
• Portugal;
• Spain; and
• Uzbekistan

An 11^th NADO, from Montenegro, has also been removed from the ‘watchlist’ after it successfully addressed its non-conformities in advance of a 28 February 2022 deadline.

On 14 September 2021, as allowed by Article 8.4.5 of the International Standard for Code Compliance by Signatories (ISCCS), the WADA Executive Committee (ExCo) approved a recommendation by WADA’s independent Compliance Review Committee (CRC) to give four months to the group of 10 NADOs named above to correct outstanding non-conformities with the Code. These issues related to non-conformities in their anti-doping programs and/or lack of implementation of the 2021 Code within their legal systems. As per the terms of the ISCCS, a failure to implement the required corrective actions by 14 January 2022 would have resulted in these NADOs on the ‘watchlist’ automatically receiving a formal notice of non-compliance without the need for any further decision by the ExCo.

The NADO from Montenegro was one of three that was subsequently added to the ‘watchlist’ by the ExCo and given a four-month deadline expiring on 28 February. The two other NADOs in that group, from Romania and the German Community of Belgium, remain on the ‘watchlist’ ahead of the deadline. Their non-conformities relate to a lack of implementation of the 2021 Code within their legal systems.

Since November 2019, WADA has been in regular communication with all Code Signatories to ensure they had every opportunity to bring their anti-doping rules and programs – in addition to countries’ legislation where needed – satisfactorily into line with the revised Code. As with other Anti-Doping Organizations that are added to the ‘watchlist’, WADA will continue to work closely with the two remaining NADOs to ensure they can address their problem areas as quickly as possible.

NOTE: There are currently four non-compliant NADOs. They are from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Indonesia, Russia and Thailand. The NADOs from Indonesia and Thailand are currently engaged in the process of reinstatement.