Lausanne, October 12 (BNA) The International Swimming Federation (FINA) said on Monday that it will establish an integrity unit as part of a number of reforms to improve governance, transparency and the culture of the organization.
The FINA Reform Commission has published a report recommending changes to address concerns about the governing body’s operational independence and potential conflicts of interest in dealing with anti-doping violations, Reuters reports.
The panel recommended reforms in six key areas, including the creation of an Aquarium Integrity Unit (AIU) to oversee anti-doping, juvenile tampering, corruptible crimes and ethical violations.
FINA has been urged by the Commission to dissolve the Doping Committee in favor of prosecuting potential violations before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) and to establish an arbitration chamber to replace the existing Ethics Committee.
“For years, FINA has been criticized for the way it handles not only alleged anti-doping rule violations, but all other integrity issues such as ethical violations and corruptible offences,” the report said.
“The alleged offenses were referred to the respected judicial body in a confidential manner, often without explanation (for) why some matters are alleged offenses and others not.
“The judicial bodies within FINA – despite their face independence – were not operationally independent of FINA. Athletes, in particular, had little faith in the integrity of FINA’s anti-doping system, arbitration and ethical system.”
Other recommendations include an overhaul of FINA’s current marketing strategy, a review of its current events calendar, an increase in award funds, and an increase in diversity on its executive boards and committees.
FINA said it hoped the AIU would start operating in June next year, subject to approval during an extraordinary conference in Abu Dhabi on December 18.
“Aquatic athletes and their supporters deserve the best in terms of protecting integrity, whether in anti-doping, competition manipulation, harassment, abuse or other ethical violations,” said Brent Nowicki, IMF Executive Director.
“This is exactly what FINA has decided to put in place. The proposal to establish an aquatic safety unit is a clear sign of FINA’s determination to prioritize the protection and well-being of those involved in water sports.”