08/06/2026 Culture, Science, Education and Media | Parliamentary Alliance for Good Governance and Integrity in Sport
The Parliamentary Alliance for Good Governance and Integrity in Sport convened on 3 June in Istanbul with a clear message: trust in sport depends on strong integrity, transparency, and effective governance at every level.
Hosted by the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye, the round table brought together parliamentarians and leading figures from sport organisations, including the International Olympic Committee (IOC), FIFA and UEFA as well as the Council of Europe Enlarged Partial Agreement on Sport (EPAS), independent experts and athletes.
Opening the meeting, Minister of Youth and Sport, Osman Aşkın Bak, highlighted Türkiye’s commitment to international standards and the fight against corruption, calling for collective action to protect the values that unite both athletes and society.
Participants discussed the urgent need to move beyond aspirational standards and ensure that safeguards are implemented in practice. Speakers showcased successful models - such as Finland's use of sustainability and integrity criteria for government grants and recent independent governance reviews for federations - and emphasised the role of parliament and public oversight in defending ethical sport, as well as the key role played by athletes.
Central to the debate was the importance of balancing sport autonomy with accountability. Expert speakers urged greater transparency, stakeholder inclusion, and independent monitoring to rebuild public trust and reinforce sport's role as a force for inclusion, democratic engagement, and solidarity.
Alliance members agreed: trust in sport can only be maintained when integrity policies become a lived reality, and all actors – parliaments, governments, sports authorities, and civil society - work together to ensure openness and accountability.
