The new Integrity and Compliance Hotline was unveiled today in Lausanne at the organisation’s first International Forum for Sports Integrity (IFSI), which forms part of IOC President Thomas Bach’s Olympic Agenda 2020 and is supported by the $20 million (£14 million/€19 million) fund the IOC set up to protect clean athletes.  

The web-based hotline guarantees 100 per cent anonymity and is open to athletes, coaches, referees and the public - essentially anyone who can report suspicious activities related to competition manipulation, infringements of the IOC Code of Ethics or any other financial, legal and regulatory misconduct over which the IOC has jurisdiction.

“I am very happy with today’s meeting as a starting point for the establishment of the IOC Integrity and Compliance Hotline where athletes and everyone concerned can turn to the IOC,” Bach said.

“They can serve as whistle-blowers and serve as witnesses with their suspicions about any kind of infringement.”

The IFSI, a successor to the Founding Working Group on the Fight Against Irregular and Illegal Betting in Sport, also urged European and non-European Governments to sign the Council of Europe Convention on the Manipulation of Sports Competitions, which allows domestic legal systems to carry out criminal investigations and sanction those involved in sports competition manipulation using either coercive, corrupt or fraudulent practices.

A number of other measures were called for at the meeting, which was chaired by Bach and included representatives from world Governments, the Council of Europe, the European Union, INTERPOL, Europol, United Nations agencies, sports betting operators and Olympic Movement stakeholders.

Highlighted among them was the need for a robust regulatory framework based on global sports minimum standards in the form of a code, proactive and preventive education at international, national and local levels and awareness raising by Governments.

Additionally, it was agreed the role of “sports integrity officers” should be strengthened within sports organisations at all levels, and that “national platforms” should be created in line with those outlined in the Council of Europe Convention, using the IOC’s Integrity Betting Intelligence System for exchange between the Olympic Movement, sports betting operators and regulators.

“In Olympic Agenda 2020 we stressed the need to protect clean athletes from match-fixing, manipulation of competitions and related corruption,” Bach said.

“Today’s forum has brought all key players around the table to address this need and coordinate our action.

“We are pleased with the support we have received so far in this regard, in particular from the Council of Europe.

“We are intensifying our efforts to protect the integrity of sport and we ask that European and non-European Governments sign the Council of Europe’s Convention on the Manipulation of Sports Competitions and continue to work hand-in-hand with us.”

The IOC is in the process of implementing mandatory Integrity E-learning for all athletes, officials, IOC and NOC staff prior to or during the Olympic Games.