Established last year by the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique (FIG) to strengthen the safeguarding of participants in gymnastics, carry out disciplinary proceedings and oversee good governance within the FIG, the Gymnastics Ethics Foundation (GEF) is an independent body governed by a Council comprised of five members. On 5 March 2020, the GEF Council held its third meeting in Lausanne. The key discussion points and main decisions included:
Greater GEF awareness and visibility
The need to increase GEF visibility was discussed together with the need of increasing awareness of the GEF and its mission. Steps will be taken to build trust and awareness both with the national federations and participants in general.
Update on news and developments from the FIG
The FIG representative provided the GEF Council with an update on current development and news from the FIG, which included in particular, the outcomes of the FIG Executive Committee recently held in Senegal as well as preparations for the upcoming Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games especially in light of the Covid-19 virus.
GEF core activity areas and financial accounts
The GEF Director presented a status update on safeguarding, disciplinary and compliance, the GEF’s three core activity areas. He noted that in 2019, the GEF had dealt with a total of 26 cases relating to varied issues ranging from safeguarding to compliance, including 5 disciplinary proceedings. Currently, the GEF has 16 open cases. More detailed case statistics will be made available on the GEF’s website. The GEF Council approved the submission of the 2019 financial accounts to the auditor for review. With respect to the auditor, it was noted that, in the interest of assuring greater independence, a new auditor would be appointed at the GEF Council meeting in October for the following year.
Selection process for Disciplinary Commission and Appeal Tribunal members for new 2021 - 2024 term
With the GEF Council set to appoint the twelve members of the Disciplinary Commission and five members of the Appeal Tribunal for the new term, the GEF Council approved the timeline and selection process that calls for the new members to be appointed at the October GEF Council meeting. FIG national federations in good standing will be invited to present candidates. More details will be published shortly on the GEF website.
Case Management Group
The GEF Council approved the list of proposed members of the Case Management Group, which will serve as a roster of experts who can, if and when needed, assist with complex cases. It was highlighted that this is a dynamic list that will continue to be updated.
Anti-doping
Given that the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) recently established a department dedicated entirely to anti-doping, the GEF Council agreed to explore, together with the FIG, the possibility of having anti-doping cases heard directly by the specialized body.
Communications
Noting the importance of effective communication with the FIG and other stakeholders, the GEF Council agreed that an annual report would be drafted. At the same time, it was agreed that more frequent communications would be published, including on the GEF website.
The GEF Council will meet again in June with the exact date to be confirmed.