Through ratification, the UK benefits from international cooperation in efforts to protect ethics and integrity in sport, as well as international standards on prohibited substances and methods. The Convention provides a fair and equitable environment for UK athletes and others from across the world to compete in.

Entering into force on 01 February 2007, the Convention has since become the most successful in the history of UNESCO in terms of the speed of ratification after adoption. It is now the second most ratified of all the UNESCO treaties over the past 75 years, with 189 States Parties.

The convention provides assistance to some States Parties for the implementation of the commitments they make as a signatory to the convention. This mechanism is called the Fund for the Elimination of Doping in Sport and is a mechanism that allows States Parties to design and implement specific anti-doping capacity-building, education and other policy projects.

It also helps to promote and ensure the effectiveness of the World Anti-Doping Code. This document applies only to sports organizations – and the convention provides the legal framework under which governments can address specific areas.

As required by the Convention, each States Party must submit a national report every two years concerning measures taken by them for the purpose of complying with the convention.

In its totality, the convention provides the most comprehensive and cooperative framework in the world for providing an equitable and competitive environment for athletes; at both the elite and amateur levels.