Code Review

Background

The World Anti-Doping Code (Code) is the core document that harmonizes anti-doping policies, rules and regulations within sport organizations and among public authorities around the world. It works in conjunction with eight International Standards which aim to foster consistency among Anti-Doping Organizations in various areas.   

The first Code was approved in January 2003, during the Second World Conference on Doping in Sport in Copenhagen. At that time, WADA committed to ensuring that the Code would be a living document subject to periodic review and that the process would be a collaborative and transparent exercise intended to further update and strengthen these documents to ensure their continued effectiveness for use and implementation.  

In keeping with that commitment, the Code and International Standards have undergone subsequent review processes which resulted in the 2009, 2015, and 2021 Codes and International Standards.  

2027 Code & International Standards (IS) Update Process  

On 9 May 2023, WADA’s Executive Committee endorsed the approach, timetable, and drafting teams for the 2027 Code & IS Update Process, which will involve the simultaneous review and update of the Code and International Standards.  

This is a two-year, multi-phase process, which is respectively summarized in the 2027 Code & IS Update Process – Timelines & Key Phases document and corresponding webinar presentation and is also outlined below: 

• Consideration of stakeholders’ feedback on the Code and International Standards; 
• Circulation of drafts of proposed amendments to the Code and International Standards;  
• Final versions of the Code and International Standards being presented for consideration and approval at the sixth World Conference on Doping in Sport, to be held in December 2025 in Busan, Republic of Korea; and 
• Updated 2027 Code and International Standards, entering into effect on 1 January 2027. 

The following key points should be noted:  

• Not all International Standards will require the same degree of review. For example, the International Standard for Code Compliance by Signatories (ISCCS) has recently undergone a consultation process and an updated version will come into force in 2024. Consequently, it is expected that this International Standard will not require the same breadth of update. 
• A standalone International Standard for Intelligence and Investigations will be developed and come into force, and the current International Standard for Testing and Investigations will revert to a Standard dedicated solely to testing requirements. 
• The List of Prohibited Substances and Methods, which is also an International Standard, will be updated separately as part of its distinct annual stakeholder consultation process. 
• The relevant documentation provided over the course of the process will be in English; however, finalized French versions of the updated 2027 Code and International Standards will be made available following their approval.  

2027 Code & IS Update Drafting Team Working Groups 

Nine different drafting teams – one for the Code and each International Standard – have been formally constituted as Working Groups in accordance with WADA’s Governance Regulations and will be responsible for reviewing feedback from WADA stakeholders, providing expert advice and recommendations, and drafting proposed amendments to updated versions of the Code and International Standards.  

The drafting teams are composed of internal members from WADA management and external experts from various Code Signatories and stakeholder organizations that have been appointed based on their relevant experience and knowledge in anti-doping and their areas of expertise. 

If you have any questions regarding the 2027 Code & IS Update Process or the Drafting Team Working Groups, please contact code@wada-ama.org.