For Valeska Queiróz, Chief of Staff to the Minister of Sports, André Fufuca, the event represents an opportunity to debate, study and reflect on the challenges of integrity.
“This is a historic moment, because the challenge goes far beyond Brazil. The world needs to face this challenge. And we, here at the Ministry of Sports, in the various areas, are committed and convinced of our role in society as drivers of protection and combating corruption in sports,” she stated.
UNODC Director, Elena Abbati, highlighted the importance of good national and international practices in combating corruption and promoting integrity in sports. “This event is a clear demonstration of how international cooperation and dialogue can generate impactful solutions to protect sports and advance the 2030 Agenda.”
The opening session also included the participation of the Deputy Executive Secretary of the Office of the Comptroller General of the Union, Olavo Caldas, and the National Secretary of Institutional Coordination, Thematic Actions and Political Participation of the Ministry of Women, Fátima Cleide.
Discussion panels
The first panel was led by Ronan O'Laoire, Coordinator of the UNODC Program on the Protection of Sport against Corruption and Economic Crime. He provided an overview of the main issues, emerging trends and new developments related to combating corruption in sport globally and in Brazil in particular.
The second panel focused on the manipulation of sports competitions, good practices and investigation of the problem. It was attended by members of the International Olympic Committee, the Brazilian Olympic Committee and the Federal Police.
The Secretary of Sports Betting and Economic Development of Sport, Giovanni Rocco, who was part of the second panel, highlighted the importance of partnerships between the agencies and other countries for the effectiveness of the actions.
“The fight against manipulation is an internationally integrated effort, because a competition that may be taking place here in Brazil may be manipulated abroad. Therefore, this articulation with the rest of the world and with good practices is essential,” he said.
During the two-day event, the program discusses relevant topics related to integrity, prevention and corruption in the sports environment.
In addition, it will be an opportunity to raise awareness about the different manifestations of corruption, other crimes and irregularities, as well as to share experiences and tools to effectively combat misconduct and crimes related to sports.
“People in attendance will find a wealth of information and content to better understand the universe of sports betting and the fight against corruption in the world of sports,” added Rocco.
Session 5 discusses “Combating illegal betting: main problems, trends and considerations” with the aim of raising awareness and understanding about the manipulation of sports competitions and sharing good practices and case studies on how to deal with this important problem.
The panelists includes:
-Giovanni Rocco Neto, National Secretary for Sports Betting and Economic Development of Sport, Ministry of Sport, Brazil
-Martin Purbrick, President, Council Against Illegal Betting and Related Crimes, International Federation of Horse Racing Authorities (online)
-Frederico Alves Soares Justo, General Coordinator for Monitoring Money Laundering and Other Offences, Prize and Betting Secretariat, Ministry of Finance, Brazil
-Jason Whybrow, Director of Sports Betting and Competition Manipulation, Sport Integrity Australia (online)
The program continues until this Thursday (23) in the Auditorium of the Ministry of Sport Headquarters Building.
Source: GMB
