Delhi/Paris 23 October (H.S.): India has been re-elected as the Vice-Chairperson for the Asia-Pacific region (Group IV) in the Bureau of the Conference of Parties (COP10) to the UNESCO International Convention against Doping in Sport. The election took place during a three-day meeting held from Monday, October 20, to Wednesday, October 22, 2025, at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris.This year's conference also marked the 20th anniversary of the convention, which stands as the only legally binding international instrument promoting fairness and integrity in sports.

The Indian delegation was composed of Sports Secretary Hari Ranjan Rao and National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) Director General Anant Kumar. The session saw participation from representatives of over 190 member states, along with the African Union, the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), and other international bodies.During the conference, Azerbaijan was elected as the Chairperson of the COP10 Bureau, while Brazil, Zambia, and Saudi Arabia were appointed as Vice-Chairpersons for their respective regional groups.

India also provided in-kind support for the conference's proceedings, which included facilitating interactive boards that showcased the journey of the anti-doping convention.The meeting, attended by over 500 delegates, focused on strengthening governance systems, enhancing funding, and addressing emerging challenges such as gene manipulation, the use of traditional medicine, and other ethical issues in sport.

India successfully proposed the inclusion of the Values Education Through Sports approach, which aims to promote values, ethics, and integrity among youth, sports organizations, and society at large.

The session concluded with all member states reaffirming their collective commitment to upholding integrity, fairness, and cleanliness in sports, thereby strengthening the convention's governance and overall effectiveness.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar