SCIENTIFIC CONGRESS – Thursday 10th November 2005 – Olympic Museum, Lausanne (Switzerland)
Changing nationality is becoming more and more frequent in the world of sport, for multiple reasons which are in particular connected to the will of certain countries to affirm themselves on the international scene, or with the desire of the athletes to profit from better material conditions. The rules to obtain a nationality vary considerably from one country to another, which sometimes creates shocking inequalities of treatment between athletes. The international sporting authorities are completely overtaken by this phenomenon, which was at first marginal but has suddenly developed into a major problem in several sports. Up until now they have treated each case separately in order sporting equity, but it has become advisable to seek valid global long term solutions.
In order to discuss these questions the International Center for Sports Studies of the University of Neuchâtel (CIES), in association with the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF) and the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), the Olympic Winter Sports Federations (AIOWF) as well as the Olympic Museum, will organise a multidisciplinary scientific congress on the above-mentioned topic.
The lecturers invited to speak at the congress are eminent specialists regarding the question of nationality, be it sporting or legal. In addition, a round table with a public debate will bring together the prominent federations and organisations who are regularly confronted with this question as well as athletes who have personally experienced such a change of nationality.
Topics to be dealt with during the Congress:
· The nationality – a summary of the present situation
o The legal nationality : an assessment of the legal situation
o The sporting nationality: an autonomous notion?
· The change of nationality – 3 examples
o The South American case
o The migration of African footballers
o The Moroccan runners in French athleticism
· Jurisdictions confronted with the question of nationality
o Nationality in the case law of the CAS
o Nationality in the case law of the European Court of Justice
· The sporting nationality – future, limits, constraints
o The legal perspective
o The socio-political perspective
o The economic perspective
· Round table
Confirmed speakers (to date):
· Prof. Denis Oswald, Member of the IOC Executive Commission, Director of the CIES
· Prof. Bertil Cottier, Director of the Swiss Institute of Comparative Law
· Me Matthieu Reeb, General Secretary of the CAS
· Prof. Gerard-Rene de Groot, Universiteit Maastricht
· Prof. Wladimir Andreff, Université de Paris 1 Panthéon Sorbonne
· Prof. Pierre Lanfranchi, DeMontfort University, Leicester
Round Table participants:
· Jacques Rogge, President of the IOC
· Sepp Blatter, President of the FIFA
· René Fasel, President of the IIHF
· Sarah Lewis, General Secretary of the FIS
· Patrick Baumann, General Secretary of the FIBA
· Wilson Kipketer, former Kenyan athlete who became Danish, 800m World Champion in 1995, 1997 and 1999, World Record holder.
The final program along with the registration form will be sent during the month of September 2005.
Would you please be so kind as to already reserve this date.
For more information, please contact directly:
Ms. Anne-Catherine Le Mevel
Tel: +41 32 718 3900
Email: secretariat.cies@unine.ch