Sexual abuse, harassment and exploitation not subject to limitation period
Victims to become parties to relevant proceedings and enjoy all procedural rights
Strengthened investigations into match-fixing via independent integrity expert
In line with its ongoing commitment to modernising football’s regulatory framework, FIFA introduced new editions of its Disciplinary Code and Code of Ethics today. In collaboration with key stakeholders, including the International Association of Football Lawyers, FIFA has updated these two sets of regulations, bringing them to the next level so as to provide the football family with additional strong tools to protect football and its integrity. The changes are aimed at improving the protection of certain parties to proceedings before FIFA’s judicial bodies, while providing FIFA with further instruments against illegal, immoral or unethical methods and practices. In a nutshell, FIFA will:
provide greater protection to victims of discrimination and sexual abuse or harassment by: - ensuring that, from now on, all forms of sexual abuse, harassment and exploitation are not subject to a limitation period for prosecution; - considering them to be parties to the relevant proceedings, who enjoy all procedural rights, such as that of being notified of the relevant decision and being entitled to appeal it; and - obligating member associations and confederations to notify FIFA of any decisions rendered on sexual abuse and match-fixing.
strengthen investigations into match-fixing and other ethics matters by: - appointing an independent integrity expert to carry out investigation tasks and duties and coordinate with public enforcement authorities to assess any potential offences, and subsequently proposing any potential appropriate disciplinary measures.
better guarantee financial justice in relation to the failure by a party to comply with a decision of FIFA or the Court of Arbitration for Sport by: - extending a transfer ban on clubs imposed by the FIFA Football Tribunal when it appears that debtors have still not complied with said decision; - ordering the party to pay an annual interest rate of 18% for unpaid debts in certain conditions; and - lifting a transfer ban imposed on debtors when debtors provide FIFA with reliable evidence of having complied with its financial obligations.
All of the above and other changes can be found in the new editions of the FIFA Disciplinary Code and Code of Ethics, which were adopted by the FIFA Council on 16 December 2022 and enter into force on 1 February 2023. Further details on the new editions of the FIFA Disciplinary Code and the FIFA Code of Ethics are available here.