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25 September 2018
Speaking at the 7th CAS International Sport Arbitration Conference in Lausanne on Friday, International Testing Agency (ITA) Chair Valérie Fourneyron delivered an introduction to the global testing management unit.
Dr Fourneyron gave delegates a thorough overview of the ITA to date, from the background leading to its formation, right through to its rapidly growing base of partners. She also talked in-depth about the importance of the ITA in the fight against doping.
“The ITA’s mission is to earn the trust, respect and loyalty of its partners by consistently delivering high-quality services through a collaborative, professional and innovative approach.
“Over the last few months we have added some of the world’s most renowned experts in the field of anti-doping, and we are seeing more and more International Federations, Major Event Organisers and sports stakeholders joining the ITA, which is great news for the entire sports movement.”
Dr Fourneyron also discussed the legal form of the ITA, its organisational structure as well as its plans for growth, with the view to providing state-of-the-art professional expertise to all its partners. With 34 International Federations and Major Event Organisers already signed up and the ITA providing test management solutions for the Buenos Aires 2018 Youth Olympic Games, the ITA continues to establish itself as a key player in the field of anti-doping.
Dr Fourneyron further stressed the importance of providing thorough and rigorous testing for all athletes, regardless of the sport they practise or the country they come from. She also listened to the athletes’ call to be treated equally under the World Anti-Doping Code, by submitting anti-doping organisations to the same level of compliance as the athletes themselves. The ITA is supporting its partners to ensure that they remain fully compliant with the code, and equipped with the most robust anti-doping programmes.
The two-day conference, hosted by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) and the Swiss Bar Association (SAV/FSA), brought together experts from areas of arbitration and sports law, and sport business, as well as representatives of associations and federations.
During the conference, delegates tackled topics of great practical importance, such as the challenge of arbitrators and alternative possibilities for dispute resolution. Speakers from around the world gave their perspective on the question of legislative activities of sports associations, while the second day was dedicated to an overview of the disputes in doping cases and international football, with a review of CAS jurisprudence.
