Articles of Association

1. The foundation’s name and registered office
The name of the foundation is Stiftelsen Antidoping Norge. The name of the foundation in English is Anti-Doping Norway. The registered office of the foundation is in Oslo.

2. The foundation’s object and scope of operation
The foundation shall fight doping by promoting honest and doping-free sport. The object of the foundation is to engage in activities for the public benefit. The foundation does not have profit making as an object.

The foundation has been established to ensure that the control and prosecution activities for doping cases are organised independently from the Norwegian Olympic Committee and Confederation of Sports (NIF) and the Norwegian government.

The foundation shall, in compliance with the statutes of NIF and the agreement between NIF and the foundation, work to achieve the objectives at all NIF’s organisational levels and among all NIF’s members.

The foundation shall engage in the following activities:

a) The foundation shall carry out doping control activities, including setting the time and place for doping controls. The doping controls may be carried out with or without prior notice and in or out of competitions. The foundation shall obtain the required information to ascertain whether NIF’s penal provisions regarding doping have been violated.
 
The foundation may, in co-operation with other national and international organisations, carry out doping controls of athletes who are not members of NIF.
 
The foundation shall lay down detailed provisions for the planning, administration and carrying out of doping controls. The foundation shall also prepare a list of prohibited substances applicable for NIF in accordance with international provisions. The foundation shall have the authority to grant exemptions from the list of prohibited substances.
 
b) The foundation shall conduct prosecution activities through its own prosecution committee before NIF’s tribunal committee in connection with violations of NIF’s penal provisions regarding doping.
 
c) The foundation shall promote values, information and preventive work aimed at fighting doping. These activities include inter alia development of training and educational programmes in order to prevent health damage and to promote fair sports competitions.
 
d) The foundation shall on an independent basis and in co-operation with the founders, carry out activities aimed at promoting international co-operation on fighting doping within organised sports. The foundation may, in particular, co-operate with national and international sports organisations, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and other antidoping organisations. The foundation may provide advice and assistance to countries that have not established qualified structures for antidoping work.
 
e) The foundation shall contribute to research activities related to the object of its activities.
 
f) The foundation may make suggestions to NIF’s implementation of its set of values at NIF’s organisational levels and among its members. The foundation may, on an independent basis, promote views on, create awareness of and debate about the basic values of sport and value dilemmas of current interest.
 
g) The foundation may assist legal entities other than NIF in fighting doping. This part of the activities must, as a minimum, be self-financing with the exception of a few further defined tasks aimed at supporting WADA and the provision of consultancy services and assistance to countries that have not established qualified structures for antidoping work.

3. Foundation capital and financing
The foundation capital shall be NOK 1.000.000.

The foundation’s activities shall be financed through subsidies from the Norwegian government and through other revenues, subsidies, grants and gifts.


4. The board of the foundation
The board is the supreme body of the foundation, and has the responsibility for the management of the foundation and for ensuring that the object of the foundation is fulfilled.

The board shall consist of four independent board members and two deputy board members, who shall be appointed as follows:

a) two board members and one deputy board member shall be appointed by NIF;

b) two board members and one deputy board member shall be appointed by the Norwegian government.

The members and deputy members of the board of the foundation shall be appointed for a term of four years. However, for the first election, the board members are appointed for a shorter term as follows: One board member appointed by the Norwegian government and one board member appointed by NIF shall be appointed for a term of two years. Board members may be re-elected for one term. The board shall elect the chairman of the board and the deputy chairman of the board. However, both these positions cannot be held at the same time by board members appointed by either NIF or the Norwegian government.
 
The first board of the foundation shall be appointed by the founders.

The members of the board shall collectively have the necessary expert knowledge in the fields of law, medicine, pharmacology, pedagogy and finance. The members and deputy members of the board shall be independent in relation to the foundation’s activities. In this connection, the members and deputy members of the board shall not be entitled to hold positions as a member of the board of NIF or a national sports federation, nor as an employee with the Norwegian government (in the relevant Ministry), NIF or a national sports federation. The members of the board shall respect fundamental principles such as independence, integrity and impartiality.

The chairman of the board shall convene board meetings as required, but at least three times per year. Board meetings shall be convened in writing at a minimum of two weeks notice and including the agenda for the meeting. Any board member or the general manager of the foundation may demand that board meetings be convened, and including a statement of the required agenda. Deputy board members shall have a right to attend and speak at board meetings, but they shall not have a right to vote unless in the event of any absence of board members.

The board may decide that representatives from NIF and the Norwegian government who do not meet the independence requirements stipulated in sub-paragraph five above may participate in board meetings as observers with a right to speak.

A copy of the minutes shall be sent to the members and deputy members of the board.

Remuneration to the members of the board shall be set in accordance with the Norwegian government’s rates for government committees laid down in the staff manual for governmental employees or corresponding guidelines.

5. General manager
The board shall employ a general manager of the foundation. The board shall determine the salary and employment terms for the general manager. The general manager shall be responsible for the day-to-day management of the foundation in accordance with the guidelines and instructions given by the board.

6. Prosecution committee
The board of the foundation shall appoint its own prosecution committee, which shall handle prosecution cases and proceedings before NIF’s tribunal in connection with violations of NIF’s penal provisions regarding doping. The board shall prepare instructions for the activities of the prosecution committee, which shall ensure fair and objective proceedings as well as due process protection, in accordance with general principles of law, in connection with the hearing of the charges brought. The board cannot instruct the prosecution committee in matters concerning prosecution proceedings.

The prosecution committee shall consist of a chairman and two members. The chairman shall be a lawyer, and the other two members shall have necessary expert knowledge in the fields of medicine and pharmacology. The members of the prosecution committee shall be independent in relation to the activities of the foundation, and they shall not be entitled to hold any honorary positions or be employed by the Norwegian government (in the relevant Ministry), NIF or national sports federation.

The prosecution committee shall determine whether a violation of NIF’s penal provisions regarding doping shall be brought before NIF’s tribunal. Furthermore, and in accordance with the provisions in the statutes of NIF, the prosecution committee may resolve in matters related to dropping of charges, appeals, decisions to not institute legal proceedings and petitions for suspension.

7. Accounts and auditing
The accounts of the foundation shall be audited by a chartered accountant. The accountant shall be appointed collectively by the founders. The audited accounts and the annual report for the previous year shall be presented to the founders within 30.06.

8. Reorganisation of the foundation and transfer of assets
The foundation may be reorganised in accordance with the provisions laid down in the Norwegian Foundations Act.
 
If the foundation is wound up or dissolved, or alternatively the foundation is no longer able to fulfil its object, the assets remaining after all liabilities and commitments have been met in connection with the winding-up shall be used to promote the object stated in Article 2.