As you are aware, the ISMF Council has initiated a Governance Reform Project to guarantee that our federation remains robust, secure, transparent, and well-suited for the years ahead.
This project project includes a comprehensive review and introduction of essential governance and regulatory instruments. The first phase occurred at the 2025 Plenary Assembly in Cancun on October 18, 2025. During this Plenary Assembly, the ISMF National Members approved the following regulations:
- Integrity Code, Conflict of Interest Policy and Safeguarding Rules.
- Disciplinary Rules
These regulations will take effect today, December 1, 2025, except for Articles 6.1 and 6.2 of the Disciplinary Rules. The Plenary Assembly decided that these provisions would take effect on October 18, 2025, in order to address the shortage of members on the Disciplinary Commission.
What are the main changes?
The main changes related to the Integrity Code, the Conflict of Interest Policy and the Safeguarding Rules are summarized in the Q&A document available on the ISMF website. Questions about these documents can be directed to the ISMF Ethics and Compliance Office.
The main changes related to the Disciplinary Rules are also summarized in a Q&A document, available on the ISMF website. Questions about these rules can be directed to the ISMF Ethics and Compliance Office and/or to the ISMF Legal Counsel.
What are the next steps?
The integrity-related document will be implemented step by step, as defined by the ISMF Ethics and Compliance Office.
First, the ISMF Council will elect the ISMF Safeguarding Officer. This election will occur before the first World Cup of the season in Solitude, Utah. The ISMF Safeguarding Officer will ensure the proper implementation of the Safeguarding Rules. They will provide confidential advice to athletes on the procedures and support victims and other potentially affected individuals, such as teammates and support personnel. They will also act as the initial point of contact for victims, raise awareness, and advise the ISMF Ethics and Compliance Office and the ISMF Council. The ISMF Safeguarding Officer’s contact details will be sent to the ISMF National Members and made available to all ISMF athletes after the election.
Athletes or victims of abuse or harassment can report at any time these violations of the Safeguarding Rules to the ISMF Ethics and Compliance Office through the recently updated ISMF Report Channel. According to the victim’s wishes, this reporting can be made anonymously.
Furthermore, in anticipation of the 2026/2027 season, the ISMF Ethics and Compliance Office will continue to implement the regulations adopted by the ISMF Plenary Assembly on October 18, 2025. This will include training and educational programs for stakeholders, the introduction of Codes of Conduct for different ISMF stakeholders, and periodic reporting.
Supporting documentation
Some supporting documentation will also be made available on the new ISMF website. This documentation references best practices related to governance, integrity, and safeguarding.
In addition, you can already find documentation integrating the best practices related to the integrity and governance under the following websites:
- International Olympic Committee: https://www.olympics.com/ioc/integrity
- International Partnership against Corruption in Sport (IPACS): https://www.ipacs.sport/tools-guidance/good-governance
- Safeguarding (IOC): https://www.olympics.com/ioc/safe-sport
- Olympic Movement Code on the Prevention of the Manipulation of Competitions of 2022: Code-Mouvement-Olympique-2022-EN.pdf
Since the implementation of these new regulations is a consultative process, the ISMF would like to remind its National Members that it is available to help them identify their support needs regarding the adoption and implementation of the Integrity Code and its related regulations as well as the ISMF Integrity Rules.