Macolin Convention comes into force

The convention that focuses on the manipulation of sports competitions, Macolin Convention, came into force on September 1.

France.- The Council of Europe (COE) has announced that the Convention on the Manipulation of Sports Competitions (the Macolin Convention) entered into force this Sunday, September 1. Italy, Republic of Moldova, Norway, Portugal, Switzerland and Ukraine are the first States Parties to the Macolin Convention, COE revealed.

The group of countries will make it possible for the Convention’s Follow-up Committee, which will start in the upcoming months.

The council said that the Macolin Convention is a crucial step in the fight against corruption in sport. The COE added that it’s possible due to several years of effort and mobilisation by a large number of national and international actors.

“The promotion of the importance of the Macolin Convention will continue vigorously within the framework of the Macolin Process in order to attract as many ratifications as possible, in order to broaden and strengthen the effectiveness of the Follow-up Committee.”

Lottery associations urged more countries to join

The Global Lottery Monitoring System (GLMS), the World Lottery Association (WLA) and The European Lotteries Association (EL) urged more countries around the world to sign and ratify the Macolin Convention as soon as possible. “As a vital step in the fight against corruption in sport, now is the time for global action. The global lottery community welcomes the entry into force of this ground-breaking Convention on 1 September 2019,” said a statement.

Since the conceptualisation and drafting phase of the Convention, the global lottery community – through GLMS, the WLA, and EL – has fully supported the initiative and assisted the Council of Europe in its efforts to promote the Convention and support states with the implementation of its provisions.

GLMS President, Ludovico Calvi has stated: “We are delighted to finally see the Convention entering into force. We now need to focus on its implementation as well as the preparation of the activities of the Follow-Up Committee. In the upcoming phase, GLMS is very much looking forward to further supporting the Council of Europe with the promotion of the Convention and all on-going and upcoming relevant workstreams, such as the setting-up of the Follow-Up Committee, the initiatives of the Group of Copenhagen and the KCOOS+ project.”