The ongoing doping scandal and overall pressing governance challenges in sports to highlight the agenda in what is expected to be a heated debate to preserve the original values of sports
Zurich: Following the success of the first edition in 2014, the World Forum for Ethics in Business (WFEB) has again invited experts from around the globe to discuss all issues concerning ethical behavior in sports in the second World Summit on Ethics and Leadership in Sports.
Organized by the Brussels-based foundation, this multi-stakeholder platform will elaborate on what business and politics can learn from sports, showcase successful CSR activities in the sports arena and assess and address current challenges in sports ethics. Themed “Preserving the beauty of Sports and leveraging its full potential for society”, the summit will feature a mix of keynote addresses and dedicated breakout sessions to enrich participants’ overall knowledge and experience and propose a substantial agenda for action.
Amongst the highlights will be a panel discussion on anti-corruption led by WADA doping investigator Prof. Richard McLaren as well as a dedicated discussion on current burning sports governance challenges featuring Hans-Joachim Eckert, Chairman of the adjudicatory chamber of the independent FIFA Ethics Committee. A number of issue-based, action-oriented workshops will invite for in-depth debates and analyses on topics such as human rights at events, the cost of success and the role of digital and other media to promote ethics in sports.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino will welcome the summit participants in the Home of FIFA. Fatma Samoura, FIFA’s new Secretary General is scheduled to deliver a key-note speech.
“Sport is something, more than business. It’s a “Fabric of Dream”, it’s a hope to improve the fate of millions of poor people, but also the nations, which did not win a lottery in the history. Athletes have often greater acceptance and authority, than us, the politicians - therefore especially the sport must be “clean”, without any doping and without the machinations of the unfair industry ‘bookmakers’ “, shares Ryszard Czarnecki, Vice President of the European Parliament, ahead of the conference.
‘In today’s world, sport holds an important influence and has the power to promote key ethical values and tackle social problems. To realize its true potential, we must preserve its integrity and beauty’, adds Wilfried Lemke, Special Adviser to UN Secretary-General on Sport for Development and Peace and confirmed keynote speaker at the Summit.
The World Summit on Ethics and Leadership in Sports will also see the conferment of the Ethics in Sports Award 2016. The Award will recognize an outstanding individual and organization that have demonstrated the importance of human values and ethics in life and in the sports arena.
A day prior to the Summit, the World Forum for Ethics in Business will launch an interdisciplinary working group, as global stakeholders from across all sectors have signaled strong interest for continued cooperation with the Brussels based foundation on the topic of ethics and leadership in sports.
The 2nd World Summit on Ethics and Leadership in Sports is organized by the World Forum for Ethics in Business in partnership with the International Association for Human Values and Swiss-based Marti Communications. For the past 13 years the WFEB has convened in worldwide conference and since 2006 annually at the European Parliament in Brussels to advocate and act towards ethics and good governance.
For further information and the complete speakers lists visit http://ethicsinsports.ch/
