Seeking solutions to financial integrity and transparency in sport

The Sport Integrity Global Alliance (SIGA) and its North American arm, SIGA America, are hosting an expert forum on Financial Integrity and Transparency in Sport, known as the FITS Forum. It will be held in New York City on June 13.

The event brings together some of the most influential authorities and key stakeholders from across the globe, in a strong demonstration of joint commitment to safeguard the financial integrity of global sports and press for long-overdue reforms.

The invitation-only event will include keynotes from prominent industry leaders, insightful fireside chats and solutions-oriented expert sessions. The following key topics will be up for debate:

Financial Integrity & Transparency in Sport: Main Threats, Key Challenges and Pressing Reforms

Following the Money. Safeguarding Sport from Corruption, Money Laundering and Criminal Infiltration

Championing Integrity in Sport: Leading by Example through Good Governance, Transparency, and Independent Scrutiny

Critical importance of the FITS Forum

Emanuel Macedo de Medeiros, SIGA Global CEO, and Chairman & CEO of SIGA AMERICA, emphasized the critical importance of this event:

Nine years and one week after the devastating FIFAGate, it’s time to confront the reality and ask ourselves: what progress has been made since then? What have we learned from that case? Which reforms have taken root, and which ones remain on the drawing board or have been forgotten? Is football and the broader sports industry better governed, and more transparent and accountable today? Are governments, sports organizations, and law enforcement duly equipped to respond to the widespread emergence of new, financially sophisticated and complex global threats? And what about the sponsors, broadcasters and other commercial entities? How many of them really prioritize Sport Integrity before putting ink on paper, opening their wallets and investing their reputation?

Gathering senior representatives from government, international organizations, law enforcement, financial institutions, Sports bodies, and the broader industry, the SIGA FITS Forum will find answers and solutions to these increasingly difficult challenges and pave the way for much-needed reforms”.

Speaking on behalf of co-hosts, the prestigious law firm Winston and Strawn, Richard Weber, the former US Chief IRS Officer who led the investigations into FIFA that gave birth to the FIFAgate case, said:

“We are thrilled to host a critical and timely forum at Winston & Strawn focused on Financial Integrity and Transparency in Sport. Partnering with the Sport Integrity Global Alliance (SIGA), we will engage with leading experts in the public and private sectors to discuss the impact of corruption, money laundering and financial crime in the Sports and financial industries. This topic is particularly significant to me, as my former agency, IRS-CI, played a pivotal and leading role in the FIFA case nine years ago – one of the most significant international corruption cases ever filed. The dedication and efforts of all the special agents, prosecutors, and international law enforcement partners must be sustained to drive forward the crucial reforms needed to ensure the integrity of sport.”

This is newspaper is a proud partner of SIGA and fully supports its mission to promote integrity in sport.