Lead Image: President Kerrith Brown formally signs up IMMAF to SIGA membership, with interim SIGA Coordinator, Emanuel Macedo de Medeiros This morning, IMMAF President Kerrith Brown attended the Sport Integrity Global Alliance constitutional General Meeting in London. 
The event was hosted at the Chartered Accountants’ Hall and attended by leading delegates from across the world of sport, government, international authorities, business and academia. The driving purposes of the GM were to see the incorporation of SIGA as a legal entity and its statutes approved by members prior to their formal signing. SIGA’s Interim Council Coordinator and ICSS Europe & Latin America CEO, Emanuel Macedo de Medeiros led the meeting. In his opening talk he underscored the importance of accountability, transparency and integrity in sports governance. SIGA’s operative function was outlined as providing independent, third party scrutiny to organisations through assessment and ratings, since self-assessment has shown itself not to be enough. Medeiros notably thanked the new United Nations Secretary General, António Guterres, for his letter of support. SIGA’s incorporation was formalised during an official signing ceremony of its unanimously approved statutes by SIGA’s founding members – Deloitte, Dow Jones Sport, Basel Institute on Good Governance, ICSS, ADIT, World Taekwondo Federation (WTF), Cyprus Sport Organisation, Caribbean Association of National 
Olympic Committees (CANOC), Esports Integrity Coalition (ESIC), European Aquatics (LEN), Plano Nacional de Ética no Desporto, Fundação do Desporto, International Mixed Martial Arts Federation (IMMAF), McCain Institute, National Olympic Committee of Portugal, National Olympic Committee of St Vincent & The Grenadines, National Olympic Committee of Trinidad and Tobago, Pivot Sport, Quest, Spanish Football League, Special Olympics, Swedish Football League, National Olympic Committee of Kosovo, Ethisphere, and the Turkik Council. SIGA is incorporated as a Swiss association and SIGA is currently in the process of identifying possible locations in Switzerland for its headquarters. SIGA’s operational plan was outlined by ICSS Director of Sports Governance & Financial Integrity, Katie Simmonds: 
The administration is tasked with implementing a consultation process focussed on integrity in governance, finance and sports betting. SIGA will set a universal standard to which members will work to comply via an initially gradual implementation plan with ongoing support. Through independent assessment, SIGA will award organisations with Bronze, Silver and Gold index ratings. As part of its support services SIGA plans to provide training, education and capacity building advice to enable its members to make practical, measurable and demonstrable changes. The following early adopters will contribute to the pilot launch of SIGA operations: European Professional Football Leagues (EPFL), Caribbean Association of National Olympic Committees (CANOC), Esports Integrity Coalition (ESIC) and European Aquatics. SIGA’s financial strategy was outlined by Richard Caborn, Senior Advisor at QUEST, as based on the fundamental necessity for independent funding if SIGA is to be protected against corruption and bias. Interim and long term budget aims were also presented. With ICSS, Dow Jones, World Bank, MasterCard, Deloitte, PWC among SIGA’s partners and supporters, it would seem that SIGA is solidly positioned to develop a robust financial structure. The meeting additionally included a discussion of board and executive development plans as well as a brief presentation of SIGA’s communications strategy. The SIGA membership is to reconvene in July of this year, when first board elections will be held. Medeiros spoke of the importance of intention and warned against the damage that can be caused by hidden agendas, as has been well illustrated in recent times across sport. For more about the Sport Integrity Global Alliance, visit siga-sport.net List of Supporters of SIGA The development of SIGA is supported by a wide community of leaders and senior representatives from sport, government, international organisations, sponsors, regulatory authorities, academia, NGOs and other key stakeholders, including, but not limited to, the following personalities:
- AGUILAR, Teresa – CEO, Pivot Sport
- ALMBANIS, Bill – Managing Director Asia Pacific, Vernalis
- AL SHAWA, Salam – Senior Vice President Marketing & Corporate Communications, Qatar Airways
- ALMEIDA, João Paulo – General Director, Portuguese Olympic Committee
- ANDREWS, Matt – Associate Professor of Public Policy at Harvard Kennedy School
- BAGANHA, Augusto – President, National Institute of Sport and Youth (Portugal)
- BRIDGEWATER, Alphonso – President of St. Kitts and Nevis Olympic Committee/Chair of CANOC’s Juridical Commission
- BROWN, Kerrith – President, International Mixed Martial Arts Federation
- CABORN, Richard – Senior Advisor, QUEST
- CARDENAL, Miguel – Secretary of State of Sport of Spain, Consejo Superior de Deportes
- CARREIRAS, Carlos – Mayor of Cascais, Municipality of Cascais, Portugal
- CASTILLO, Alfredo – Minister of Sport of Mexico / Director General of the National Council of Sport of Mexico
- CHANG, Michael – Director, The Singapore Sports Council
- CHOUE, Chungwon – President, World Taekwondo Federation
- COTTRELL, James H. – Global Chief Ethics Officer, Deloitte
- CRUICKSHANK, David – Global Chairman, Deloitte
- DESALVO, Karen – Assistant Secretary for Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
- DEZENSKI, Elaine – Former Senior Director of World Economic Forum (WEF) and CEO LumiRisk
- DROSSART, Eric – Advisory Board Member, ICSS
- EMMANUEL, Alfred – Secretary General at St Lucia Olympic Committee/Treasurer at CANOC
- EVANGELISTA, David – President, Special Olympics
- EVANGELISTA, Joaquim – President, Portuguese Professional Players’ Union
- FERGUSON, Jason – Chairman, World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA)
- FRISCHKNECHT, Paulo – Executive Director, LEN European Aquatics
- FULLER, Jaimie – Chairman, SKINS
- GAILLARD, William – Senior Advisor, ICSS
- GARVELINK, William – Senior Advisor, Global Strategy, International Medical Corps
- GREENBERG, Simon – News Corp Global Head of Rights/Head of Dow Jones Sport
- GREVEMBERG, David – Commonwealth Games Federation
- HADDAD, Georges – President of the University Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne
- HAINDLOVÁ, Markéta – President, Player’s Union of the Czech Republic
- HANZAB, Mohammed – President, ICSS
- HASANOV, Ramil – Secretary General, Ambassador, Turkic Council
- HERSHMAN, Michael – Chairman of Advisory Board, International Anti-Corruption Academy
- HIDALGO, Jose – President, Federación Española de Triatlón
- JOSEPH, Keith – General Secretary of St. Vincent & The Grenadines Olympic Committee/Secretary General, CANOC
- KENNED Y, Sir Ian – Chairman of the UK Parliamentary Independent Standards
- ITURMENDI MORALES, José – Department of Philosophy of Law in the Law Faculty of the University Complutense de Madrid
- IZZA, Michael – Chief Executive, ICAEW
- KAZANDJIAN, Danny – General Manager, The Rugby League European Federation
- KHOO, Boon Hui –High Representative, The Singapore Sports Council
- KREUTNER, Martin – Dean and Executive Secretary, International Anti-Corruption Academy (IACA)
- LANGE, Joel – Managing Director – Risk and Compliance, Dow Jones
- LEWIS, Brian – President, Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee/Member of the Executive Committee of CANOC
- LIM, Dennis – Director, Legal Division, The Singapore Sports Council
- LIM, Thomas – Senior Director, The Singapore Sports Council
- LIMA, José Carlos – Coordinator, National Plan for Ethics in Sport of Portugal
- LORENZO, Alfredo – Integrity and Security Director, La Liga
- LUNA, David M. – Chair of the OECD Task Force on Countering Illicit Trade
- MACEDO DE MEDEIROS, Emanuel – CEO, ICSS EUROPE and LATIN AMERICA
- MACHADO, Pedro – Partner, Financial Services Risk and Regulation Advisory, PwC
- MARLAND, Lord Jonathan – Chairman, Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council
- MARTA, Carlos – President, Foundation of Sport of Portugal
- MCCAIN, Cindy – Founder, McCain Foundation
- MCCARTHY, Leonard – Vice President, Integrity, World Bank
- MCDONELL, Rick – Executive Director of ACAMS (Association of Chartered Anti-Money Laundering Specialists) and former Executive Secretary of FATF (Financial Action Task Force)
- MESTRE, Alexandre – Former Secretary of State of Sport and Youth of Portugal
- MONTANARI, Massimiliano, Executive Director, Save the Dream
- MORALES, Angel L. – President of Virgin Islands National Olympic Committee/ Member of the Executive Committee of CANOC
- MOYERSOEN, Patricia – President, AIAF (Association Internationale des Avocats du Football)
- OLSSON, Lars-Christer – President/ Chairman, Swedish Football League/ EPFL
- ÖNHON, Ömer – Ambassador, Turkish Embassy in Madrid
- PANTAZIDIS, Anastasios – President of the Hellenic Federation of Modern Pentathlon
- PEDERSEN, Michael – Founder and CEO, M INC – Change the Game
- PERNA, Sal – Racing Integrity Commissioner (Victoria), Victorian Government (Australia)
- PFOHL, Shellie – Executive Director, United States President’s Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition
- PIETH, Mark – Co-Founder and Chairman of the Board of the Basel Institute on Governance
- PROENҪA, Pedro – President, Professional Portuguese Football League
- RICHARDS, Sir David, Senior Vice President, The Football Association
- ROBICHAUD, Michael – Senior Vice President, Global Sponsorship, MasterCard
- SALMON-BYRNE, Erica – Vice President of Governance and Compliance, Ethisphere
- SCHÄFER, Claudius – CEO, Swiss Football League
- SHARMA, Pranjal – Member of World Economic Forum / PACI, Member of India-Africa Forum and a founding member of Broadcast Editors´ Association
- SINGER, Jeff – Fellow, ICAEW (institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales)
- SMITH, Ian – Commissioner, eSports Integrity Coalition
- SPELLER, Paulo – Secretary General, Organisation of Ibero-American States
- STEVENS, Lord John – Chairman, QUEST
- STOUTE, Steve – President of Barbados Olympic Association/ President of CANOC
- SUÑÉ LLINÁS, Emilio – Department of Philosophy of Law in the Law Faculty of UCM, University Complutense de Madrid
- TEBAS, Javier – President, Spanish Football League
- TRENGROUSE, Pedro – Member of The Special Committee on Sport Integrity, Brazilian Senate
- VEIGA GOMES, Fernando – Vice President Sports Law Committee, UIA (International Lawyers’ Association)
- VIDAL, Laurent – Professor of Law at the University Panthéon, Sorbonne University
- WATKINS, Maurice – Director/Chairman, Rugby League European Federation/British Swimming
