Preamble
The member States of the Council of Europe and the other signatories to this Convention,
Considering that the aim of the Council of Europe is to achieve a greater unity between
its members;
Considering the Action Plan of the Third Summit of Heads of State and Government of
the Council of Europe (Warsaw, 16-17 May 2005), which recommends the continuation
of Council of Europe activities which serve as references in the field of sport;
Considering that it is necessary to further develop a common European and global framework
for the development of sport, based on the notions of pluralist democracy, rule of
law, human rights and sports ethics;
Aware that every country and every type of sport in the world may potentially be affected
by the manipulation of sports competitions and emphasising that this phenomenon, as
a global threat to the integrity of sport, needs a global response which must also
be supported by States which are not members of the Council of Europe;
Expressing concern about the involvement of criminal activities, and in particular
organised crime in the manipulation of sports competitions and about its transnational
nature;
Recalling the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (1950, ETS No. 5) and its Protocols, the European Convention on Spectator Violence and Misbehaviour at Sports Events and in
particular at Football Matches (1985, ETS No. 120), the Anti-Doping Convention (1989, ETS No. 135), the Criminal Law Convention on Corruption (1999, ETS No. 173) and the Council of Europe Convention on Laundering, Search, Seizure and Confiscation of the
Proceeds from Crime and on the Financing of Terrorism (2005, CETS No. 198);
Recalling the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (2000) and the Protocols thereto;
Also recalling the United Nations Convention against Corruption (2003);
Recalling the importance of effectively investigating without undue delay the offences
within their jurisdiction;
Recalling the key role that the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol)
plays in facilitating effective co-operation between the law enforcement authorities
in addition to judicial co-operation;
Emphasising that sports organisations bear the responsibility to detect and sanction
the manipulation of sports competitions committed by persons under their authority;
Acknowledging the results already achieved in the fight against the manipulation of
sports competitions;
Convinced that an effective fight against the manipulation of sports competitions
requires increased, rapid, sustainable and properly functioning national and international
co-operation;
Having regard to Committee of Ministers’ Recommendations to member States Rec(92)13rev
on the revised European Sports Charter; CM/Rec(2010)9 on the revised Code of Sports
Ethics; Rec(2005)8 on the principles of good governance in sport and CM/Rec(2011)10
on promotion of the integrity of sport to fight the manipulation of results, notably
match-fixing;
In the light of the work and conclusions of the following conferences:
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– the 11th Council of Europe Conference of Ministers responsible for Sport, held in
Athens on 11 and 12 December 2008;
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– the 18th Council of Europe Informal Conference of Ministers responsible for Sport
(Baku, 22 September 2010) on promotion of the integrity of sport against the manipulation
of results (match-fixing);
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– the 12th Council of Europe Conference of Ministers responsible for Sport (Belgrade,
15 March 2012) particularly in respect of the drafting of a new international legal
instrument against the manipulation of sports results;
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– the UNESCO 5th International Conference of Ministers and Senior Officials Responsible
for Physical Education and Sport (MINEPS V);
Convinced that dialogue and co-operation among public authorities, sports organisations,
competition organisers and sports betting operators at national and international
levels on the basis of mutual respect and trust are essential in the search for effective
common responses to the challenges posed by the problem of the manipulation of sports
competitions;
Recognising that sport, based on fair and equal competition, is unpredictable in nature
and requires unethical practices and behaviour in sport to be forcefully and effectively
countered;
Emphasising their belief that consistent application of the principles of good governance
and ethics in sport is a significant factor in helping to eradicate corruption, the
manipulation of sports competitions and other kinds of malpractice in sport;
Acknowledging that, in accordance with the principle of the autonomy of sport, sports
organisations are responsible for sport and have self-regulatory and disciplinary
responsibilities in the fight against manipulation of sports competitions, but that
public authorities protect the integrity of sport, where appropriate;
Acknowledging that the development of sports betting activities, particularly of illegal
sports betting, increases the risks of such manipulation;
Considering that the manipulation of sports competitions may be related or unrelated
to sports betting, and related or unrelated to criminal offences, and that it should
be dealt with in all cases;
Taking note of the margin of discretion which States enjoy, within the framework of
applicable law, in deciding on sports betting policies,
