The Development of the World Anti-Doping Code

This chapter addresses both the development and substance of the World Anti-Doping Code, which came into effect in 2003, as well as the subsequent Code amendments, which came into effect in 2009 and 2015. Through an extensive process of stakeholder input and collaboration, the World Anti-Doping Code has transformed the hodgepodge of inconsistent and competing pre-2003 anti-doping rules into a harmonized and effective approach to anti-doping. The Code, as amended, is now widely recognized worldwide as the gold standard in anti-doping. The World Anti-Doping Code originally went into effect on January 1, 2004. The first amendments to the Code went into effect on January 1, 2009, and the second amendments on January 1, 2015. The Code and the related international standards are the product of a long and collaborative process designed to make the fight against doping more effective through the adoption and implementation of worldwide harmonized rules and best practices.