Speaker
Description
Public authorities constantly face the challenge of preserving their independence from third party interests. This challenge can be particularly difficult when it comes to regulating sport, as sports organizations not only enjoy great independence, but also have a remarkable ability to influence governments; the fight against doping accounts for this influence. Following a campaign by governments for greater control over sports institutions, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), made up of members of the Olympic Movement and governments, was conceived in 1999 as a public-private organization that would lead the fight against doping. Since then, WADA has renewed anti-doping regulations and modified the configuration of the anti-doping system. Governments have lost their decision power within WADA; nowadays, their main responsibility is to comply with WADA’s decisions. Precisely, our communication aims to study the series of actions that have led to this change. To do this, we will rely on theoretical models developed for the study of power relations and on the data collected in the framework of an extensive collective study carried out in eight countries. The analysis shows how WADA has taken advantage of the relatively weak commitment of governments in the matter to approve a more interventionist policy, having previously negotiated with some key institutions (the European Union, for example). This study can help understand the bases on which this asymmetric power relationship is based and help governments to try to rebalance it.
