The global soccer governing body, FIFA, has teamed up with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) to launch a new program aimed at combating match manipulation and fixing worldwide.
This initiative, known as the FIFA Global Integrity Program, seeks to elevate the level of education and enhance the integrity capabilities of all 211 FIFA member associations by sharing knowledge and resources with integrity officers.
FIFA states that the primary objective of the program is to establish enduring integrity and anti-corruption initiatives at the local level. Each continental confederation will benefit from a series of three-module virtual workshops that will concentrate on integrity issues.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino stated, “Match-fixing is a serious issue that jeopardizes the integrity and credibility of football in many nations across the globe.”
“Collaborating closely with UNODC experts, and alongside other ongoing FIFA endeavors, the FIFA Global Integrity Program is another significant step in FIFA’s efforts to safeguard the integrity of football. It will play a crucial role in educating and empowering member associations to assist in combating match-fixing at the local level.”
To back the scheme, FIFA will also unveil an Integrity Officer Community Platform, a community-driven online space specifically for integrity officers across all member associations and leagues globally.
FIFA stated the confidential platform will unite a worldwide network of integrity officers to share their experiences, exchange best practices for preventing and fighting match manipulation, and promote honesty.
The unveiling follows FIFA and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime announcing a new campaign in December to encourage the football industry to openly oppose match fixing.
The partnership focuses on FIFA’s confidential reporting platform, which aims to encourage players, coaches, and officials to identify, resist, and report match manipulation.
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