WADA update on the compliance of the Cambodian National Anti-Doping Organization

At its meeting of 16 November 2023, WADA’s Executive Committee (ExCo) followed the recommendation from the independent Compliance Review Committee (CRC) to add the Cambodian Anti-Doping Agency (CADA) to the compliance ‘watchlist’, giving it an additional four months to correct an outstanding non-conformity related to the implementation of the World Anti-Doping Code (Code) in its legal system. 

By placing CADA on the ‘watchlist’, as per Article 8.4.5 of the International Standard for Code Compliance by Signatories (ISCCS), if CADA failed to correct its outstanding non-conformity by 16 March 2024, WADA would automatically send CADA a formal notice alleging non-compliance and proposing consequences and reinstatement conditions.  

The outstanding non-conformity was still not resolved by CADA by 16 March 2024. As a result, on 18 March 2024, CADA received a formal notice of non-compliance with the Code. The proposed consequences and reinstatement conditions for CADA can be found here. 

Under Article 9.3.1 of the ISCCS, CADA has 21 days following the date of receipt of the formal notice of non-compliance to dispute WADA’s allegation of non-compliance, as well as the proposed consequences and/or the reinstatement conditions proposed by the ExCo. The decision (including the consequences) will enter into force on 8 April 2024, unless the formal notice is challenged [in which case the matter will be referred to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS)], or the non-conformity is corrected by 7 April 2024.  

Therefore, the purpose of this communication is to provide sufficient time for Signatories to prepare in case the consequences do come into effect on 8 April 2024. In the meantime, the consequences do not apply, and WADA will update Signatories on or around 8 April 2024. 

Conditions of reinstatement 

In accordance with ISCCS Article 11.2.1, CADA must satisfy the outstanding critical requirement and comply with all the above-mentioned consequences of non-compliance to be reinstated. 

Should you have any questions or concerns regarding the above, please do not hesitate to contact us at compliance@wada-ama.org.