The IOC and UNODC held a virtual workshop ©IOC

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) held a virtual meeting to discuss protecting the credibility of sport and tackling crime in and through sport.

IOC President Thomas Bach and UNODC executive director Ghada Waly participated in the virtual meeting, which was held on July 21.

According to the IOC, Bach underlined the importance of the "positive role played by sport in terms of social inclusion, drug and violence prevention, and rehabilitation".

Waly reportedly said that "sport is key in helping to build back after COVID-19 and promoting gender equality and female empowerment".

She also stressed the importance of enhancing the credibility of sport by tackling corruption at all levels.

The virtual meeting came weeks after the IOC, INTERPOL and the UNODC published a paper outlining the action required to tackle corruption as sport aims to recover from the coronavirus pandemic.

The aim of the paper, entitled "Ensuring that integrity is at the core of sport’s response to the pandemic: preventing corruption in sport and manipulation of competitions", is to provide recommendations to those involved in tackling corruption in sport, such as Governments and sporting organisations.

The IOC, UNODC and Interpol released a joint paper on preventing corruption amid the pandemic earlier this month ©IOC
The IOC, UNODC and Interpol released a joint paper on preventing corruption amid the pandemic earlier this month ©IOC

It is hoped the recommendations will ensure integrity is at the centre of sport’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic and to enable the sector to contribute effectively in society as the crisis eases.

The paper, outlining preventative measures, is billed as showcasing an "aligned, proactive approach".

The IOC said parallel to the call, the organisation, the UNODC and INTERPOL organised a two-day virtual workshop for the Baltic region aimed at tackling the manipulation of sports competitions.

The event was supported by the Council of Europe, UEFA, the International Basketball Federation and the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation.

The workshop was held on July 21 and 23, with 40 registered participants from Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

The event was claimed to have highlighted existing good practices and examples of how law enforcement, criminal justice authorities, sports organisations and related stakeholders can prevent, detect and punish the manipulation of sports competitions.