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First meeting Several push for independence of anti-drug agency
Posted: Wednesday January 12, 2000 12:59 PM
LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) -- The International Olympic Committee was preparing Wednesday for the first meeting of the new World Anti-Doping Agency, with delegates including U.S. drugs czar Barry McCaffrey pushing for it to be fully independent. McCaffrey, Australian justice minister Amanda Vanstone and Canadian secretary of state for amateur sports Denis Coderre were to meet with IOC President Juan Antonio Samaranch ahead of the WADA's first session Thursday. The agency was established in November. It is temporarily based in the IOC's home city, Lausanne, and provisionally headed by Dick Pound, an IOC vice president. Many people, including McCaffrey, have said the agency needs to be separated from the IOC if it is to be seen as independent and credible. A number of cities have expressed interest in hosting WADA on a permanent basis and the IOC plans a bidding process. "We are going to Lausanne as part of a growing international partnership of nations to support the development of a WADA that is effective, democratic, accountable and transparent," McCaffrey said in a statement. "We believe WADA can manage drug test results during the Sydney and Salt Lake City games in a transparent, accountable and effective manner," he added. McCaffrey gave his support to the scandal-ridden IOC last month, but only after Samaranch accepted proposals by a group of 26 nations led by the United States and Australia. These included moving WADA from Lausanne, holding meetings in public and considering an end to a statute of limitations on drugs offenses. The agreement is not binding on the IOC, which has contributed $25 million to start the agency but expects governments and others to pay their share. WADA's tasks include establishing a single list of banned substances, coordinating announced out-of-competition drug testing, developing standards for collecting and analyzing samples, pushing for unified drug sanctions and promoting research. The agency -- which groups IOC representatives, sports federations, athletes and governments -- will be governed by a board of at least 10 members and no more than 35.
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