The Integrity Sport and Recreation Commission (the Commission) exists to enhance integrity within sport and recreation in Aotearoa New Zealand. This Code of Integrity for Sport and Recreation (Integrity Code) supports that purpose and furthers the collective aspiration of sport and recreation communities to create environments where all participants:

• can take part in safe environments where they can fully enjoy all the benefits sport and recreation offers

• are respected for who they are, where they come from, and their inherent value and identity

• can trust each other, their organisations and the Commission to behave with integrity

• are confident harm and unfair treatment is taken seriously, people are held to account, and integrity issues are addressed, including through restorative approaches.

The Integrity Code also responds to the harm experienced in sport and recreation, and the significant concerns participants have raised. This includes through a series of independent reviews into sport and recreation. The Commission recognises that Māori, Pacific peoples, women, children and young people, rainbow people and disabled people have been particularly affected.

In light of that, the Integrity Code is designed to reflect the human rights of participants, including rights protected under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

The purpose of the Integrity Code is to protect the safety and wellbeing of participants. This includes athletes, coaches, instructors, volunteers, officials, administrators and others who take part in sport and recreation at any level.

The Integrity Code will help protect participants by preventing and addressing “threats to integrity” through setting minimum standards for organisations in the sport and recreation sector.

Threats to integrity include bullying, violence, abuse, discrimination, harassment, corruption, fraud, deception, breaches of trust, competition manipulation and situations where organisations fail to take reasonable steps to prevent these threats or to safeguard children and young people in sport and recreation.

The Integrity Code also promotes values derived from tikanga Māori including whanaungatanga, manaakitanga, hauora, haumarutanga, mokopunatanga, pono, utu and ea.

The Integrity Code does not seek to define or constrain the meaning of tikanga Māori values. Rather, it provides guidance for participants and organisations in a sport and recreation context. While grounded in and respecting te ao Māori, this approach seeks to ensure these values resonate with all sport and recreation communities.

The Integrity Code has six minimum standards with proactive measures to help prevent threats to integrity, and requirements to respond to integrity issues when they happen.

Minimum standards

Standard 1: Prohibit behaviours that are a threat to integrity

Standard 2: Proactively safeguard children, young people and adults at risk

Standard 3: Implement an effective and fair dispute resolution process in relation to threats to integrity

Standard 4: Notify the Commission of issues of serious concern

Standard 5: Cooperate with the Commission in relation to dispute resolution, investigations, and monitoring activity

Standard 6: Provide information to your members about the Integrity Code

The Integrity Code articulates the Commission’s role to provide independent oversight of the Integrity Code’s implementation, including complaints and dispute resolution processes, investigations and disciplinary panel.

The Integrity Code provides for sanctions and remedies when threats to integrity or breaches of the minimum standards occur.

For the Integrity Code to have effect, organisations in the sport and recreation sector must adopt it. Once adopted, the organisation and its members are bound by the Integrity Code, and anyone who agrees with the organisation that the Integrity Code applies.

The Integrity Code supports the Sports Anti-Doping Rules but does not contain specific provisions relating to anti-doping. Where there is an integrity issue that occurs in connection with anti-doping, it may be dealt with under the Integrity Code (eg, if a participant offered a bribe to an official to ignore a doping test result).

The Commission has a statutory duty to maintain the capability and capacity to carry out its functions in a way that is responsive to te Tiriti o Waitangi – including to develop and issue integrity codes. This includes a commitment to act in partnership with Māori, to pursue equitable outcomes for Māori, and to actively protect the rights and interests of Māori in relation to integrity in sport and recreation.

Pursuant to section 19 of the Integrity Sport and Recreation Act 2023, the Integrity Sport and Recreation Commission makes the following integrity code.