We are back with another edition of our regular Newsletter, packed with the latest SIGA developments, initiatives, and achievements.
The last six months saw us commence a new chapter of SIGA’s global expansion. Today, SIGA and our credentials as independent thought leaders in the field of Sport Integrity fly ever higher and are widely recognised.
This year has seen the expansion of interest and uptake in our Universal Standards, with Liga Portugal being the first European football league going through the SIGA Independent Rating and Verification System (SIRVS). SIRVS is an integral part of SIGA’s ecosystem to usher sport and the wider sporting industry into a new era of enhanced governance, integrity, transparency and accountability. We have expanded the services that SIRVS provides, including the development of an Independent Gap Assessment tool to further support sports organisations’ governance journey and to act as a precursor to SIRVS.
As this Newsletter will illustrate, we are working harder than ever to deliver what we promised and meet the mounting challenges ahead. A selection of my personal highlights from the last few months include:
- We have seen the results of our review of the Internal Governance of SIGA, with the election of a new Chair, Dr Giovanni Tartaglia Polcini, and the establishment of a newly appointed Ethics Committee and Audit and Compliance Committee. This process will now continue with the appointment of the new members of our expanded collection of Permanent Committees, in the coming days.
- Our global expansion is well on track. Following the footsteps of SIGA AMERICA and SIGA EUROPE, SIGA LATIN AMERICAhas now been fully established and our expansion here is well underway. We have recently engaged with key stakeholders to establish formal alignments, including the Brazilian Government, the Brazilian Congress, as well as the country’s leading business community, with exciting projects being unveiled later just two weeks ago. This has included the signing of a large-scale cooperation agreement with the UN Women, with positive dialogue and constructive cooperation being established with Federal Government of Brazil, the Congress of Brazil, and many others. This follows last month’s appointment of SIGA LATIN AMERICA to the Government’s multi-stakeholder expert group on sport betting legislation and Brazil’s National Sports Council.
- Our #SIGAWomenglobal programme continues to go from strength to strength. In 2023 we successfully organised our third SIGA Summit on Female Leadership in Sport, hosted by SIGA founding member Mastercard at their Technology Hub in New York for the second year running. We also completed the fourth cycle of the #SIGAWomen Global Mentorship Programme, having delivered mentorship to 200 women around the world over the last four years. We have recently opened the fifth cycle for the 2023/2024 Programme with applications being welcomed until June 30th. If you are interested in becoming involved – click here for more information.
- This year saw the launch of the Sport Transparency Index, an innovative tool to objectively rank, compare and contrast base transparency levels within Sport in order to facilitate, measure and improve minimum standards of good governance and integrity in the sector. Led by SIGA EUROPE, this project is funded by the European Commission, through the Erasmus+ programme, and involves 15 pioneering organisations from over 10 European nations led by SIGA EUROPE. The project will create a mechanism to evaluate Sport Stakeholders, including clubs, leagues, national associations and international governing bodies against a robust set of Universal Transparency Indicators. For more information click here.
- Similarly, our SIGA Youth Council continues to make great strides in progressing and informing SIGA’s Integrity reform agenda. They are in the final stages of an ambitious research project to map the perceptions of young people on Sport Integrity from around the globe and they will be unveiling the results during Sport Integrity Week 2023. For more information and to participate in the research click here.
- Looking slightly ahead, we will soon launch our SIGA Executive Education Certificate on Good Governance in Sport. Through this executive education certificate, participants will learn the essentials of good governance and integrity in sport. They will identify the challenges in implementing good governance practices and learn how to overcome them. They will learn from world-leading academics and industry experts and interact with like-minded professionals to acquire knowledge, develop an understanding of how to apply it and build a robust network to advance their careers in the sport industry. We are all very excited and passionate about empowering the next generation of Sport Integrity Leaders through this course. To register your interest in attending click here.
- I am also very pleased to share that the 2ndSIGA Week on Anti-Corruption in Sport will take place between the 9-15 December. This initiative follows the signing of an action-oriented Memorandum of Understanding, on 19 June 2023, between SIGA and the International Anti-Corruption Academy (IACA).
As you can see, with an inclusive and accessible strategic vision, reformist spirit and the support of our growing community, the second half of 2023 promises to be a memorable period for SIGA and for Sport Integrity alike. Let’s continue working together and face the challenges ahead with confidence and strong resolve. Thank you to all our Members, Committed Supporters and Partners for your ongoing support and active engagement.
Finally, I would like to invite the global sports industry to unite and participate in Sport Integrity Week 2023 (#SIW2023), taking place from multiple locations around the world between 4th to 8th of September. #SIW2023 represents an unmissable opportunity for all those seeking to meet the critical current and future challenges facing sport. It will once more bring together the most influential industry leaders, decision-makers, and renowned experts to address the most pressing issues and pave the way for the much-needed reforms and sustainable growth. Sport Integrity Week continues to unite the industry and ignite the pathway for organisations to lead cultural change towards a prosperous future for Sport, built upon the foundations of good governance and integrity. I look forward to seeing you all there.
Yours sincerely,
Emanuel Macedo de Medeiros
Global CEO, SIGA
Chairman & CEO, SIGA AMERICA
Executive Chairman, SIGA EUROPE
Chairman & CEO, SIGA LATIN AMERICA
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ABOUT SIGA
SIGA is the world’s leading organisation for Sport Integrity. We are creating a whole new landscape for the sports industry by delivering independent global rating and certification for world Sport to ensure it is governed and operates under the highest integrity standards: The SIGA Universal Standards.
Funded by our Members, SIGA is a non for profit global independent organisation with one aim: To ensure the sport industry is governed under the highest integrity standards so that the values of sport are protected.
SIGA is the only organisation to bring together sport, governments, academia, international organisations, sponsors, business, rights holders, NGOs and professional services companies, from every region in the world, around a common cause of fostering greater integrity throughout sport.
SIGA is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, as a non for-profit association, and comprises of the following continental subsidiaries: SIGA AMERICA, SIGA EUROPE and SIGA LATIN AMERICA.
For more information on SIGA, including its vision, mission and reform agenda, please refer to the website: www.siga-sport.com and FAQs.
To contact SIGA, please email: comms@siga-sport.com.
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