Integrity partnership agreed between UK and France
News on 23 Jan 2018
News on 23 Jan 2018
The UK and French Government’s have reached an agreement hailed as a key partnership in protecting sports’ integrity.
Matt Hancock, the British Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport and French Sports Minister Laura Flessel-Colovic signed a Declaration of Intention at the UK-France Summit last week detailing the sharing of expertise and best practice in tackling sports corruption and match-fixing through illegal and irregular sports betting.
Matt Hancock said:
“The UK and France are steadfast allies in the battle against corruption. Doping and match-fixing scandals have rocked international sport in recent years and it is crucial that we take a global approach, working together to ensure the integrity of sport is upheld.
“Fans have to be able to believe in fair play in sport and be inspired by the best athletes in the world.”
A December 2017 meeting of the International Partnership against Corruption in Sport, to which both countries belong, agreed the creation of three task forces to reduce corruption risks in procurement relating to sporting events and infrastructure, which would ensure integrity in the selection of host cities for major sporting events and mitigate the risk of corruption by improving compliance with good governance.
Under the latest Declaration, best practice and expertise from major sporting events such as London hosting the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and the Rugby World Cup in 2015, would be shared with the French Government, Hancock said, in anticipation of France hosting the Rugby World Cup in 2023 and the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2024.
