A Process of ETHICAL CONDUCT.

FIFA bears a special responsibility to safeguard the integrity and reputation of

football worldwide. FIFA is constantly striving to protect the image of football,

and especially that of FIFA, from jeopardy or harm as a result of immoral or

unethical methods and practices. In this connection, the following Code has

been passed.

The Governing Body's CODE of ETHICS.

Ethics Committee

Chairman
Claudio SULSER	Switzerland

Deputy Chairman
Petrus DAMASEB	Namibia

Member
Ariel ALVARADO	Panama
Juan Pedro DAMIANI	Uruguay
Abdoulaye Mokhtar DIOP	Senegal
Burton K. HAIMES	USA
Les MURRAY	Australia
Dominique ROCHETEAU	France
Roosje SUWAE	Papua New Guinea
Dali TAHIR	Indonesia
Robert TORRES	Guam
Sondre KAAFJORD	Norway
Jorge Ivan PALACIO	Colombia

1 Natural Persons.

1. This code applies to all officials. Officials are all board members, committee members, referees and assistant referees, coaches, trainers and any other persons responsible for technical, medical and administrative matters in FIFA, a confederation, league or club.

2. Articles 2,3,7,8,13 and 14 and section lll of this Code also apply by analogy to players, players' agents, and match agents as defined in the FIFA Statutes.

3. Any other regulations regarding ethics and conduct with respect to officials, players and players' agents and match agents remain unchanged provided they do not conflict with the following provisions.

2 TIME

This Code applies to facts that have arisen after it has come into force. It also applies to previous facts if it is equally favourable or more favourable for the perpetrator of the facts and if the FIFA Ethics Committee is deciding on these facts after the Code has come into force.

3 GENERAL RULES

1. Officials are expected to be aware of the importance of their function and concomitant obligations and responsibilities. Their conduct should reflect the fact that they support and further the principles and objectives of FIFA, the confederations, associations, leagues, and clubs and in every way refrain from anything that could be harmful to these aims and objectives. They shall respect the significance of their allegiance to FIFA, the confederations, associations, leagues and clubs and represent them honestly, worthily, respectably and with integrity.

2. Officials shall show commitment to an ethical attitude while performing their duties. They shall pledge to behave in a dignified manner. They shall behave and act with complete credibility and integrity.

3. Officials may not abuse their position as part of their function in any way, especially to take advantage of their function for private aims  or gains.

4 ELIGIBILITY and DISMISSAL

1. Only those persons who demonstrate a high degree of ethics and integrity and pledge to observe the provisions of this Code without reservation are eligible to serve as officials.

2. Persons with a criminal record are not eligible if the offence is incompatible with their ability to perform their duties.

3. Officials who do not comply with this Code or severely fail to fulfil, or inadequately exercise, their duties and responsibilities. particularly in financial matters, are no longer eligible and shall be removed from office.

5 CONFLICTS OF INTEREST

1. Before being elected or appointed, officials shall disclose any personal interests that could be linked with their prospective function.

2. While performing their duties, officials shall avoid any situation that could lead to conflicts of interest. Conflicts of interest arise if officials have, or appear to have, private or personal interests that detract from their ability to perform their duties as officials with integrity in an independent and purposeful manner. Private or personal interests include gaining any possible advantage for himself, his family, relatives, friends and acquaintances.

3. Officials may not perform their duties in cases with an existing or potential conflict of interest. Any such conflict shall be immediately disclosed and notified to the organisation for which the official performs his duties.

4. If an objection is made concerning an official's existing or potential conflict of interest, it shall be reported immediately to the organisation for which the official performs his duties.

5. The deciding authority of the relevant organisation shall decide on such conflicts of interest.

6. Conduct towards government and private organisations in dealings with government institutions, national and international organisations, associations and groupings, officials shall, in addition to observing the basic rules of art. 3, remain politically neutral, in accordance with the principles and objectives of FIFA, the confederations, associations, leagues and clubs, and generally act in a manner compatible with their function and integrity.

7 DISCRIMINATION

Officials may not offend the dignity of a person or group of persons through contemptuous, discriminatory or denigratory words or actions concerning ethnicity, race, colour, culture, language, religion or gender.

8 PROTECTION of PERSONAL RIGHTS

While performing their duties, officials shall ensure that the personal rights of those persons whom they contact and with whom they deal are protected, respected and safeguarded.

9 LOYALTY and CONFIDENTIALITY

1. While performing their duties, officials shall recognise their fiduciary duty, especially to FIFA. the confederations, associations, leagues and clubs.

2. Depending on their function, any information divulged to officials while performing their duties shall be treated as confidential or secret as an expression of loyalty. Any information or opinion shall be passed on in accordance with the principles, directives and objectives of FIFA, the confederations, associations, leagues and clubs.

10 ACCEPTING and GIVING GIFTS and OTHER BENEFITS

1. Officials are not permitted to accept gifts and other benefits that exceed the average relative value of local cultural customs from third parties. If in doubt, gifts shall be declined. Accepting gifts of cash in any amount or form is prohibited.

2. While performing their duties, officials may give gifts and other benefits in accordance with the average relative value of local cultural customs to third parties, provided no dishonest advantages are gained and there is no conflict of interest.

3. Officials may not be accompanied to official events by family members or associates at the expense of FIFA, the confederations, associations, leagues and clubs or other organisations, unless expressly permitted to do so.

11 BRIBERY

1. Officials may not accept bribes; in other words, any gifts or other advantages that are offered, promised or sent to them to incite breach of duty or dishonest conduct for the benefit of a third party shall be refused.

2. Officials are forbidden from bribing third parties or from urging or inciting others to do so in order to gain an advantage for themselves or third parties.

12 COMMISSION

Officials are forbidden from accepting commission or promises of such commission for negotiating deals of any kind while performing their duties, unless the presiding body has expressly permitted them to do so. In the absence of such a presiding body, the body to which the official belongs shall preside.

13 BETTING

Officials are forbidden from taking part, either directly or indirectly, in betting, gambling, lotteries and similar events or transactions connected with football matches. They are forbidden from having stakes, either actively or passively in companies, concerns, organisations, etc. that promote, broker, arrange or conduct such events or transactions.

14 DUTY of DISCLOSURE and REPORTING

1. Officials shall report any evidence of violations of conduct to the FIFA Secretary General, who shall report it to the competent body.

2. The persons implicated shall, upon request, report to the body responsible and, in particular, declare details of their income and provide the evidence requested for inspection.

15 JURISDICTION of the ETHICS COMMITTEE

1. The Ethics Committee shall judge cases that come under the jurisdiction of FIFA.

2. FIFA shall have jurisdiction over the conduct of FIFA officials.

3. FIFA shall also have jurisdiction over national cases if associations, confederations, leagues and clubs as well as players, players' agents and match agents if the case on which the alleged violation is based has international implications  (affecting various associations) and is not judged at confederation level.

4. FIFA shall also have jurisdiction over national cases if associations, confederations and other sports organisations fail to prosecute such infringements or fail to prosecute them in compliance with the fundamental principles of law.

16 DISCLOSURE

FIFA accepts complaints only from the Executive Committee of an association, the Executive Committee of a confederation, members of the FIFA Executive Committee and from the FIFA Secretary General.

17 APPLICATION of the FIFA DISCIPLINARY CODE

1. The Ethics Committee may pronounce any of the discipilnary measures defined in the FIFA Statutes and the FIFA Disciplinary Code.

2. All organisational and procedural rules of the FIFA Disciplinary Code apply directly in the context of all proceedings conducted by the Ethics Committee, unless this Code of Ethics contains diverging rules or if the provisions of the FIFA Disciplinary Code manifestly cannot apply in respect of the objectives and content of this Code.

18 MEANS of REDRESS

1. An appeal may be lodged to the Appeal Committee against any decision passed by the Ethics Committee, unless the sanction announced is:

• a warning;
• a reprimand;
• a suspension for less than three matches or of up to two months;
• a fine of less than CHF 7,500.

2. Decisions passed by the Appeal Committee are final, subject to appeals lodged with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in accordance with art. 63 of the FIFA Statutes.

19 OVERLAPPING RESPONSIBILITIES

Cases that come under the scope of application of the Code of Ethics as well as the FIFA Disciplinary Code shall be dealt with primarily by the FIFA Disciplinary Committee. In any case, the chairmen of both committees shall agree on which committee is responsible beforehand.

20 OFFICIAL LANGUAGES

1. The Code exists in the four official languages of FIFA (English, French, German, Spanish).

2. In the event of any discrepancy between the four texts, the English version is authoritative. 

21 ADOPTION and ENFORCEMENT

The FIFA Executive Committee adopted this Code on the 31st May, 2009.

This Code comes into force on the 1st September, 2009.

Here endeth my lesson for now....Kiaora Frank