UNESCO says education is key to eradicating doping in sport
October 27, 2015More than 250 representatives of governments and the sport movement are expected at Conference of Parties (COP5) in Paris the coming days, in order to discuss anti-doping challenges and propose solutions in line with the Convention to eliminate doping at a time of growing concern about the use of performance enhancing drugs by teenagers and young adults, including recreational athletes.
- Prevention is better than cure. We have achieved a great deal in the last decade. We must continue our advocacy work to educate and enforce in order to fulfil our ambition of eradicating doping from sport worldwide. The only possible way to fight doping effectively is through education, said UNESCO’s Director-General Irina Bokova. The organisation will host the fifth session of the Conference of Parties (COP5) to the International Convention against Doping in Sport at its Headquarters in Paris on 29 and 30 October. Celebrating a decade in the fight against doping in sport by 182 State Parties, UNESCO considers that educating young sportswomen and sportsmen about the dangers of using prohibited substances is key to eradicating this scourge among future generations of athletes. UNESCO, which also administers a $1.8 million Fund for the elimination of doping in sport, said that the use of performance enhancing substances not only caused serious health problems but also undermined fairness and ethics in sport. The Fund, which was set up in 2008, aims to help countries enforce the Convention and strengthen anti-doping capacity, educate about the dangers of doping and help ensure sportsmen and sportswomen make choices compatible with clean sport practices and fair play. The Brazilian Anti-Doping Authority is getting aid from UNESCO ahead of the 2016 Olympics and Paralympic Games in Rio in order to strengthen its fight against doping in sport through education, prevention and testing and to preserve the beauty of high performance competition.