Canada's bid to host the World Anti-Doping Agency Permanent Headquarters Site Wins!

Decision made in Tallin, Estonia, August 21, 2001

The Foundation Board of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) selected Montreal as the permanent site of the Agency. Members of the Board met in Tallinn in Estonia for the occasion. The other candidate cities were Bonn, Lausanne, Stockholm and Vienna.

"The choice of Montreal confirms that Canada is the world leader in anti-doping initiatives. Having participated in international anti-doping conferences, as well as having contributed to the creation of WADA as a representative of the Americas, I am very pleased that Canada has the opportunity to host the WADA and to pursue our fight against doping in sport," declared Secretary of State (Amateur Sport) Denis Coderre.

National anti-doping policies and practices, which must be consistent with WADA's objectives, as well as the proximity of other relevant institutions, such as the Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS), were among the criteria that had been established to determine WADA's headquarters.

Background

The World Anti-Doping Agency was established on November 10th, 1999, to promote and coordinate, at the international level, the fight against doping in sport in all forms.

In October 2000, Montréal, Canada, was proud to table its proposal to be the Permanent Headquarters for the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), as did nine other sites. Five candidates remain in contention: Bonn, Germany; Lausanne, Switzerland; Stockholm, Sweden; Vienna, Austria; and Montreal, Canada.

Montréal International is a non-profit organization that put forward the bid and was supported by the Government of Canada, the Government of Québec, the City of Montréal, the Canadian Olympic Association and the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport.

The decision on the Permanent Headquarters for WADA was announced in Estonia, on August 21^st, 2001 at the WADA Board meeting.

Canada is recognized as a world leader in the efforts to eliminate doping in sport, exemplified by its significant efforts in developing international relationships and agreements on anti-doping.

Canada has shown leadership through efforts such as initiating the concept of a world anti-doping agreement at the 5th European Sport Ministers' Conference (Dublin,1986), to hosting the First Permanent World Anti-Doping Conference (Ottawa, 1988), and subsequently drafting the first International Anti-Doping Charter.

As the co-chair with Australia, Canada hosted the first meeting of the International Inter Governmental Consultative Group in Anti-Doping in Sport (IICGADS) in Montréal, in February, 2000. The government representation to the WADA Board was determined at that meeting.

On May 31, 2001, Secretary of State (Amateur Sport) Denis Coderre announced that Canada will take the lead in chairing a working committee of government representatives from each of the five continents to establish and develop the first world-wide inter-governmental treaty on anti-doping in sport. The treaty will serve to coordinate and harmonize governmental action on this issue world wide.

The Copenhagen Declaration on Anti-Doping in Sport and the World Conference on Doping in Sport Resolution are available for public viewing.

Websites of interest for more information on WADA or Canada's policies regarding doping and sport:

• World Anti-Doping Agency
• Canadian Policy on Doping in Sport
• Montreal International
• Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport