The World Anti-Doping Code (The code) is the central document that harmonizes all anti-doping policies, norms and regulations in sports organizations and public authorities around the world. It works along with eight international standards that have as an objective to promote understanding between Anti-Doping organizations in different zones.
The Code was never designed to be a document that would remain unchanged. As anti-doping developed, so would the ideas that would shape future rules, regulations, and policies. Following the experience gained in the application of the 2004 Code, WADA initiated consultation processes in 2006, 2011 and 2017 to revise the Code. These review processes were fully collaborative processes involving the entire anti-doping community, who sought an improved Code that would benefit athletes around the world.
WADA initiated the first Code review in 2006. After three phases and the publication of several preliminary drafts, the revised Code was unanimously adopted by WADA’s Foundation Board and endorsed by the 1,500 delegates present on 17 November 2007 at the Third World Conference on Doping in Sport in Madrid, Spain. The revisions to the Code took effect on 1 January 2009.
The revision process of the 2015 Code began at the end of 2011 and, after three phases of consultation over a two-year period and with 2,000 changes submitted, the revised Code was unanimously approved on November 15, 2013 at the World Conference on Doping in Sport in Johannesburg, South Africa. The revisions to the Code became effective on January 1, 2015.
The 2021 Code review process began at the end of 2017 and, after three phases of consultation over a two-year period, with more than 2,000 comments received, the revised Code was unanimously approved on November 7, 2019 at the World Conference on Doping in Sport in Katowice, Poland. The revised Code entered into force on January 1, 2021.
