Beijing, June 2 (IANS) The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has stressed that "harmonisation is extremely important" for stakeholders to adopt the new World Anti-Doping Code. The new World Anti-Doping Code (Code) and International Standards (Standards) will come into force on January 1 next year.

WADA, together with co-host China Anti-Doping Agency, is holding the Asia and Oceania Intergovernmental Ministerial Meeting and Asia and Oceania Symposium from June 1 to 3 in the Chinese capital.

On the opening day of the Symposium on Tuesday, WADA president Witold Banka pledged the agency's support for stakeholders in the lead-up to the implementation of the Code, reports Xinhua.

"It is incumbent upon all of us to take the necessary steps to ensure that Code signatories are ready on 1 January 2027 when the updated rules come into force. WADA will support those signatories in a variety of ways in the months ahead, and it will be up to our partners in Asia and Oceania to take the lessons learned over the course of the Regional Symposium and apply them in their respective parts of the world," he said.

"The anti-doping community is strongest when we are united. That unity shone through last year at the World Conference in Busan, and it was on full display once again today. I look forward to seeing this momentum being carried forward tomorrow and throughout the next six months towards the implementation of the 2027 Code."

Banka said he was satisfied with the result of the Intergovernmental Ministerial Meeting on Monday, which drew more than 140 representatives from about 40 countries and regions in Asia and Oceania.

"They [stakeholders] have this year to adopt the new regulations, new standards, to be in line with the Code. During this meeting, we pushed the governments to take strong actions to accelerate the process to finalise it before the deadlines, to avoid any consequences, and to maintain the level playing field for the updates," Banka said after the sessions.

"And the harmonisation of the system is extremely important to adopt the Code in accordance with the rules," he added.

"We finalised the meeting with a resolution unanimously approved by all governments. And one of the strong points is the expression that ministers of sport are against the politicisation of anti-doping," he told reporters.

--IANS

bsk/