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Government representatives from more than 30 countries are set to converge on Cape Town from Monday 28 May to take part in an international conference on anti-doping in sport.

The conference will be attended by more than 100 international delegates, including a number of government ministers and other senior government officials responsible for anti-doping in sport in their respective countries.

The conference is held under the banner of the International Intergovernmental Consultative Group on Anti-Doping in Sport (IICGADS) and takes place at the BMW Pavilion at the Waterfront on Wednesday 30 and Thursday 31 May 2001. It will immediately be followed by an executive committee meeting of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) at the same venue on Friday 01 June.

The conference comes at a time of increased international concern at the use of illegal substances by sportspersons to enhance performances. IICGADS leads world-wide government attempts to contribute to the effectiveness of the international fight against doping.

The conference will be co-chaired by South Africa, Canada and Australia. Minister Balfour, the State Secretary for Amateur Sport in Canada, Denis Coderre and the Head of Division in Sport and Tourism in Australia, Robert Crick, will open the conference on 30 May at 09H00. This session will be open to the media.

A notable delegate at the conference is Dick Pound, the chairperson of WADA, who will also be contesting the Presidency of the IOC later this year. Pound is one of the early favourites to fill the position of Juan Antonio Samaranch. At least eight IOC members will be present in Cape Town.

Among the countries due to take part are China, India, Nigeria, the United States of America, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Sweden, Norway and Japan. The European Union Commission, the Council of Europe and WADA will also be represented at the conference. Minister Balfour will also be having bilateral talks with his Moroccan counterpart, Ahmed Moussaoui, on the bid for hosting the 2010 Football World Cup in Africa. Both South Africa and Morocco have given notice of their bids to host the event.

This high-powered conference is set to send out a clear message that drug cheats in sport will not be tolerated and, in co-operation with the International Olympic Committee and other international sporting federations, a hardening of attitudes towards doping in sport is likely to be a key element of the conference.

IICGADS is committed to funding WADA in their campaign to promote and co-ordinate, on an international basis, the fight against doping in sport in all its forms.

"As participants in both IICGADS and WADA, South Africa will continue to lead the fight against doping in sport," Balfour said.

"There is no place for cheats in sport and recent cases of abuse of drugs in sport in our country will lead to an intensification of drug-testing of our sportspersons, both in and out of competition.

"The South African Institute for Drug-Free Sport (SAIDS) is an internationally-respected body and South Africa has the only IOC-accredited drug-testing laboratory in Africa. All drug cheats need to be warned that we will find them wherever they are. We will test them when they least expect it," Balfour added.

The conference is likely to agree on an international plan whereby those guilty of doping will be banned internationally and prevented from competing in any country as well as in all sports.

SAIDS tested more than 1600 South African athletes last year in 45 codes of sport and intends pushing this figure up to 2800 tests by 2004, covering 60 codes.

"Doping in sport is a global challenge to the value and integrity of sport," said Dr Ismail Jakoet, the executive chairperson of SAIDS.

"This conference will place doping in South Africa in the spotlight and will contribute greatly towards the fight against substance abuse throughout our Continent" Jakoet concluded.

The Cape Town Declaration will be adopted at the conference spelling out the future involvement of governments in WADA and in anti-doping practices.

The media is welcome to attend the opening session as well as interviewing international representatives.

For further information and accreditation, contact Graham Abrahams at 082 4532244.

Issued by: Ministry of Sport and Recreation, 28 May 2001