About the Integrity Code
Why we need an Integrity Code
Everybody involved in sport and recreation in Aotearoa New Zealand should be safe and treated fairly. Unfortunately, that’s not always the case. Some people face issues like bullying, abuse or harassment. When they try to take action against these harmful behaviours, they may find that there are no processes in place to help them, or that the processes don’t work as they should. People may also find that they have very different experiences depending on their sport or recreation activity.
That’s why we need an Integrity Code – to make sure that everyone who takes part in sport and recreation is free from harm, and to help organisations prevent and address integrity issues in a way that’s consistent across the sector.
What the Integrity Code does
The Integrity Code sets consistent standards to prevent and address threats to integrity such as abuse, bullying and harassment. It also sets out what is expected of sport and recreation organisations and participants.
The Integrity Code is intended to:
- prevent and address harm in sport and recreation
- keep tamariki, rangatahi, and vulnerable people safe
- help improve the integrity capability of sport and recreation organisations
- clearly set out what organisations need to do to prevent and address harm, and
- explain our role when there are serious integrity issues.
What the Integrity Code doesn’t do
The Integrity Code doesn’t:
- cover doping in sport – the Sports Anti-Doping Rules already do this
- cover school sport – but schools and school sport organisations are welcome to use our resources or use the Integrity Code as a benchmark
- set unachievable expectations – the Integrity Code outlines the minimum standards needed to keep people safe
Consulting through the process
The Integrity Code must represent the communities it protects. That’s why we have developed the Integrity Code with participants and the sector. We have consulted widely since work began in 2022.
Some examples of our mahi since that time includes:
- Consulting sport and recreation organisations on earlier drafts
- Surveying the general public on what integrity means to them
- Online discussions for participants including rangatahi
- Online and face-to-face hui with Māori
- Talanoa and fono with Pacific Peoples
- Engaging with high-performance athletes
- Seeking expert advice from organisations like the Human Rights Commission
Through these consultations, people from across the sector have shared with us what is most important to them when it comes to developing a national code of integrity for sport and recreation.
This public consultation is the final step on the journey towards a single Integrity Code that protects all those who take part in sport and recreation.