More than 30 Sport Ministers co-sign second statement on International Federations' response to Russia's war on Ukraine

Sport ministers from almost all European Union Member States amalgamated to endorse a 35-nation coalition calling for international sport federation related reforms and recommendations in the light of the on-going Russian invasion of Ukraine. 

Signatories are asking sport federations to remove government officials, having close connections to the Belarusian and Russian states, from positions of influence within their organisations. In addition, the recommendations also encourage international sport federations and event organisers to sever broadcast deals that would allow their competitions to be broadcasted in either Belarus or Russia. The coalition also calls on international sport federations to continue along the path of solidarity and help with the reconstruction of the Ukrainian sports system.  

This latest common position augments on the March resolution, which at the time called for Belarus and Russia to be stripped of event hosting rights and a ban on their national teams from competing abroad. The earlier resolution had also advised that Belarusian and Russian athletes could only compete in international competitions in the absence of their national anthems, flags and symbols.   

The coalition, which saw 25 European Union members join – with the exception of Bulgaria and Hungary, also included Australia, Canada, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States, among others.  

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