The global football governing body, FIFA, and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime have teamed up to launch a new campaign on International Anti-Corruption Day, December 9th. The campaign aims to motivate the football community to publicly condemn match-fixing.
This collaboration seeks to increase awareness of FIFA’s confidential reporting platform and inspire players, coaches, and officials to detect, oppose, and report match-fixing.
Both organizations urge anyone suspecting match-fixing to report corruption through FIFA’s online platform, email, or integrity application.
FIFA acknowledges that the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic and associated economic uncertainty has heightened integrity risks for players and clubs worldwide.
This year’s International Anti-Corruption Day emphasizes the significance of “Recovering with Integrity.” The campaign features messages from prominent figures within FIFA, including its Century Woman Player Sun Wen, retired Colombian defender Iván Córdoba, and German referee Bibiana Steinhaus.
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime have joined forces to combat criminal activity in sports. In September, they inked a significant accord, demonstrating their commitment to eradicating illicit practices in the realm of athletics.
FIFA’s chief executive, Gianni Infantino, declared that this collaboration represents a substantial stride in their endeavor to oppose fraud and dishonesty within the sport of soccer. He emphasized that, in the wake of the global health crisis, collective action is more crucial than ever to ensure the well-being and security of athletes, coaches, and officials, empowering them to denounce wrongdoing.
Ghada Waly, the head of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, underscored the profound significance of sports in promoting human health and contentment. She stressed that, as we navigate the recovery from the pandemic, it is imperative to uphold the integrity and fairness of sports. She affirmed their collaboration with FIFA to curtail deception and corruption within the sporting arena.
Collaborating with governments, sporting bodies, and all involved parties, we can utilize the UN Convention against Corruption to combat match manipulation and guarantee fair play for everyone in athletics.
The Global Lottery Monitoring System (GLMS), an organization committed to protecting the integrity of gaming, has reported a substantial rise in suspicious wagering activity in the third quarter of 2020, generating over 450 warnings.
This figure signifies a 116.3% increase compared to the same period in the previous year. Warnings associated with football were the most common, generating 370 alerts in the quarter. Of these, 259 originated from Europe, 55 from Asia, 17 from North America, 9 from Africa, and 4 from Oceania.
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