RUSSIA TASKFORCE REPORT TO COUNCIL MEETING OF 23 MARCH 2023
1.

I am happy to be presenting what I hope will be the Russia Taskforce’s final report to Council.

2.

I am aware that Council will also be considering at this meeting what steps to take next in
response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. I therefore want to emphasise that the Taskforce’s
recommendations in this report are based solely on its assessment of the anti-doping issues
entrusted to it by Council. The Taskforce expressly notes and acknowledges that any decision inrelation to Ukraine is a decision for Council alone, and is not constrained in any way by what theTaskforce recommends on the matters entrusted to it.

3.

Before getting to those recommendations, I hope it will be helpful if I remind Council members
briefly of how we have got to this point (the full detail is set out in previous Taskforce reportsthat are posted on the World Athletics website, linked here):
3.1. Council suspended RusAF’s membership in November 2015 due to RusAF’s systematic
failure to comply with its anti-doping obligations. Council resolved that RusAF should
only be reinstated to membership once it had demonstrated that the following
conditions had been met, and could reasonably be expected to continue to be met
moving forward:
a. RusAF complies with all of the requirements of the World Anti-Doping Programand of the World Athletics Anti-Doping Rules that are applicable to a nationalfederation.
b. Both World Athletics and RUSADA are able to carry out, effectively and without
interference, their respective anti-doping activities in Russia and in relation toRussian athletes and athlete support personnel.
c. As a result the participation in international competitions of the athletes andathlete support personnel under RusAF’s jurisdiction will not jeopardise theintegrity of those competitions.
3.2. Council appointed the Russia Taskforce in November 2015 to oversee and report backto Council on RusAF’s efforts to meet those conditions.
3.3. In June 2016, Council approved a rule change to permit athletes affiliated to RusAF
who could establish they were not tainted by the failings of the Russian anti-doping
system to compete in international competitions not as representatives of Russia but
rather as Authorised Neutral Athletes (ANA).
3.4. In November 2019, Council resolved to suspend the reinstatement process pending
resolution of charges that the AIU had brought against RusAF for breaching its antidoping obligations in relation to the Lysenko affair.
3.5. In March 2020, Council imposed sanctions on RusAF for those anti-doping breaches,
and asked the Taskforce to take up again the task of overseeing RusAF’s efforts to meetthe reinstatement conditions.
3.6. In November 2021, Congress resolved, in exercise of its powers under Article 13.7 of
the World Athletics Constitution, that the suspension of RusAF’s membership of World
Athletics for breach of its anti-doping obligations should continue until all of theconditions set by Council from time to time for RusAF’s reinstatement had been met.

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3.7. The conditions that Council set were (1) that RusAF had to meet the milestones andKPIs set out in the Reinstatement Plan approved by Council in March 2021; and (2)that RusAF had to accept a set of post-reinstatement measures designed to ensure thatits anti-doping reforms continue to operate effectively following reinstatement.
3.8. In my last report to Council, in November 2022, I noted that an independent team,having conducted an audit, was satisfied that RusAF had met all of the requirements in
the Reinstatement Plan (including the milestones and the KPIs), subject to taking two
remedial measures (adding certain protections to its whistleblower policy, andformalising its policy for development of anti-doping and integrity in the regions). I
can now confirm those two remedial measures have been completed, and the audit
team’s formal report is available to Council and will be posted on the World Athletics
website alongside this report. With that, the independent audit team’s work is at anend, and on behalf of the Taskforce I thank them for the significant assistance they haveprovided.
3.9. The Taskforce recommends that Council requires RusAF to comply, after any
reinstatement, with a set of ‘Special Conditions’ that are intended to help ensure that
RusAF’s anti-doping reforms remain in place and continue to operate effectively
following reinstatement. I understand these Special Conditions have been circulated
to Council for review shortly in advance of this meeting. They are designed to enable
the AIU to monitor, evaluate, communicate, mentor, oversee, and assist RusAF and its
external stakeholders to maintain good governance practices moving forward and toprotect RusAF from external pressures and attempts to influence or control its
functioning. In summary, the Special Conditions focus on four areas: organisational
good governance, protection from inappropriate external influence and control,
operational capability and capacity (with a particular emphasis on ethical and antidoping requirements, and change in the regions), and budget allocation and fiscal
management. The Taskforce recommends that these Special Conditions apply for an
initial period of three years, with Council to decide at the end of that period, based on
the recommendation of the AIU, whether the same and/or other conditions should
apply for a further period.
3.10. I also understand that the AIU, further to its powers under Rule 15.3 of the World
Athletics Anti-Doping Rules (the WA ADR, linked here), has determined that RusAF
should be categorised as a Category ‘A’ member federation after its reinstatement.
That means that RusAF will have to comply not only with the general obligations
applicable to all member federations that are set out in WA ADR 15.4 but also with thespecial obligations applicable to Category ‘A’ member federations that are set out in
WA ADR 15.5.
3.11. The proposal is that the AIU would oversee RusAF’s compliance with all of therequirements imposed on RusAF as a Category ‘A’ member federation under WA ADR
15.4 and 15.5 (as amended from time to time), as well as the Special Conditions. Oneof the Special Conditions will be that, further to a formal Costs Agreement that RusAF
must sign with World Athletics in the next 21 days, RusAF must pay all of the costs ofsuch oversight, as well as the costs of any actions required of World Athletics.
3.12. At an in-person meeting in Istanbul last Thursday, the Taskforce met with RusAF
President Peter Ivanov and his colleagues, to discuss RusAF’s progress to date and its
plans for the future. The meeting was very constructive and productive. Most
importantly, Mr Ivanov and his colleagues agreed on the need for the Special
Conditions, and therefore accepted that any reinstatement of RusAF’s membership ofWorld Athletics should be made expressly subject to RusAF’s compliance with theSpecial Conditions moving forward, as well as the WA ADR 15.4 and 15.5
requirements. Following the meeting, the Russia Taskforce is satisfied that RusAF’s
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current leadership is committed to providing the management, administrative
backbone, and operating framework required to fulfil the WA ADR 15.4 and 15.5
requirements and the Special Conditions, in order to ensure that the cultural change
they have brought to Russian athletics endures.
4.

Finally, I note that RusAF has paid all of the costs of this process to date as invoiced by World
Athletics for the period up to the end of 2022. 1 I understand that World Athletics will invoice
RusAF in early April for the costs incurred by World Athletics in January-March 2023, andprompt payment of that invoice will be one of the Special Conditions.

5.

Based on all of the above, the Taskforce is now recommending that Council adopt the following
resolution:
1. Taking note of the Taskforce’s report and recommendations, Council resolves
to lift the suspension of RusAF’s membership of World Athletics for breach of
its anti-doping obligations, and to reinstate RusAF’s membership of World
Athletics, on the following basis:a. In addition to its other anti-doping obligations as a WA ADR Rule 15
Category ‘A’ member federation, RusAF is required to comply with allof the Special Conditions for a period of three years from the date ofthis resolution.
b. Council shall decide at the end of that period, based on therecommendation of the AIU, whether it is necessary to maintain theSpecial Conditions, or impose different ones, for a further period.
2. The Taskforce shall be disbanded forthwith and the international experts bestood down. The AIU shall be responsible for overseeing RusAF’s compliancewith WA ADR 15.4 and 15.5 and the Special Conditions, on the basis set out in
the Special Conditions, and also exercising (as necessary) its powers under
WA ADR 15.8 and 15.9.
3. It is one of the Special Conditions that RusAF must pay all of the costs incurredby the AIU in overseeing RusAF’s compliance with WA ADR 15.4 and 15.5 andthe Special Conditions, as well as any costs incurred by World Athletics inconnection therewith. No more than 21 days after the date of this resolution,
RusAF must sign and return the formal Costs Agreement provided by WorldAthletics, setting out how this obligation will be satisfied.
4. If there is a minor breach of WA ADR 15.4 and/or 15.5 and/or of the Special
Conditions, the AIU shall decide what corrective action is required. If there isa material breach of WA ADR 15.4 and/or 15.5 and/or of the Special
Conditions (whether a breach as to payment of costs owed or otherwise), theAIU shall report the breach to Council, who will decide upon the appropriate
measures (which may include, if the circumstances so warrant, a proposal
being put to Congress that RusAF be expelled permanently from membershipof World Athletics), with the AIU making any recommendations it may see fit
as to those measures.

On 12 December 2022 World Athletics invoiced USD $228,838.86 for the costs incurred by World
Athletics in the months of October and November 2022. RusAF paid that invoice in full on 20 December 2022.
On 25 January 2023, World Athletics invoiced RusAF USD $76,145.30 for the costs incurred by World Athletics
in December 2022. RusAF paid that invoice in full on 14 March 2023.
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5. As a result of this reinstatement decision, from an anti-doping perspective
there is no restriction on athletes affiliated to RusAF competing in World
Rankings Competitions. Therefore the Authorised Neutral Athlete (ANA)
process and the work of the Doping Review Board in respect of Russian ANAs
shall be discontinued forthwith.
6. For the avoidance of doubt, this decision to reinstate RusAF’s membership ofWorld Athletics is based on anti-doping considerations only, and does notconstrain Council’s powers in relation to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
6.

This recommendation concludes my report. On behalf of the Taskforce, I give my special thanks
to the international experts for all their support, dedication and hard work. Mr President, if yousee fit, I would be happy to address any questions that Council members might have, and I notethat Brett Clothier from the AIU is also here, in case Council members have any questions about
the AIU’s role moving forward.

Rune Andersen, Taskforce Chair23 March 2023

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