RUSSIA TASKFORCE REPORT TO COUNCIL MEETING OF 28 JULY 2021
I am pleased to provide the following update to Council on behalf of the Russia Taskforce:
1.

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In March 2021, Council made the following decisions:
1.1

It approved the Reinstatement Plan proposed by RusAF.

1.2

It resolved that the decision it had made in July 2020 (to propose thatCongress expels RusAF from membership of World Athletics) shouldcontinue to be held in abeyance, and that the Authorised Neutral Athlete
process should be reinstated and should continue to operate, for so longas RusAF continues to do two things:(1)

make satisfactory progress against the milestones and KPIs set out
in the Reinstatement Plan; and(2)reimburse all of the costs incurred by World Athletics in relation
to the reinstatement process, in accordance with the payment
deadlines set out in the Framework Agreement.

I can confirm that from March to date, RusAF has met these two conditions:
2.1

In terms of RusAF’s progress against the milestones and KPIs in theReinstatement Plan, the Taskforce has been greatly assisted in its
monitoring task by the three international experts, who work closely on
the ground with RusAF’s senior management and attend all important
meetings. The Taskforce receives weekly reports on RusAF’s progressfrom the international experts, and monthly reports from RusAF itself. The
Taskforce has also convened periodic calls with the international experts
to discuss those reports and to address any issues as they arise. I will spare
Council all of the detail, but in short I can confirm that the Taskforce
considers that RusAF is making satisfactory progress against themilestones and KPIs set out in the Reinstatement Plan. (I will be happy toprovide more detail on this topic if Council members wish to have it).

2.2

In terms of reimbursement of costs, in April 2021 World Athletics invoiced
RusAF US$431,848 for the reinstatement costs incurred by World
Athletics in the quarter ending 31 March 2021. RusAF has paid that invoicein full. World Athletics invoiced RusAF yesterday in the amount ofUS$488,209 for the reinstatement costs incurred by World Athletics in thequarter ending 30 June 2021.

There remain various milestones and KPIs in the Reinstatement Plan that will
have to be met moving forward in order for the Reinstatement Plan to becompleted. However, the Taskforce is hopeful that, under the guidance of Acting
President Irina Privalova, and with the assistance of the international experts,
RusAF will continue to meet the remaining milestones and KPIs as they arise, andultimately satisfy all of the conditions set for its reinstatement to membership ofWorld Athletics.

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In such circumstances, and given that Congress will meet in November 2021 andwill need to be updated on the Council’s actions in respect of RusAF since 2019,
and to receive a recommendation from Council as to the way forward, theTaskforce recommends that Council passes the following resolution:Council resolves that:A.

The Authorised Neutral Athlete process will remain in effect, and Council
will consider at its last meeting of the year (in November 2021) whether theten ANA quota that applied to certain competitions in 2021 should bemaintained or revised for competitions staged in 2022.

B.

The status of RusAF’s membership of World Athletics will be put on theagenda for the 53rd World Athletics Congress, to be held in November 2021.

C.

The 53rd World Athletics Congress will be updated on Council’s actions in
respect of RusAF since 2019 and will be asked to vote on the following
resolution proposed by Council:
Congress resolves, in exercise of its powers under Article 13.7 of the World
Athletics Constitution, that the suspension of RusAF’s membership of World
Athletics will continue until Council decides that all of the conditions set byCouncil from time to time for the revocation of RusAF’s suspension and theconsequent reinstatement of RusAF’s membership have been met.

5.

In accordance with Article 13.9 of the World Athletics Constitution, formal notice
will be given to RusAF of the inclusion of this item on the Congress agenda. RusAF
will be given a chance to respond to the resolution, both in writing prior to theCongress and orally at the Congress.

6.

Finally, between now and Congress in November, the Taskforce will continue toreceive weekly reports from the international experts, and monthly reports fromRusAF, on RusAF’s progress against the milestones and KPIs set out in theReinstatement Plan. The Taskforce will also continue to monitor RusAF’s
reimbursement of the reinstatement costs incurred by World Athletics. If during
this period RusAF stops making satisfactory progress against the KPIs andmilestones in the Reinstatement Plan, or if it fails to reimburse World Athletics’reinstatement costs on a timely basis, the Taskforce will report this to Council andrecommend that Council withdraw the proposed resolution to Congress set out
above, and propose instead that Congress resolves to expel RusAF frommembership with immediate effect. However, the Taskforce trusts that this will
not be necessary.

Rune Andersen, Taskforce Chair
28 July 20212