Both organisations introduced the Code of Conduct in 2012, with the document based upon the Olympic values of “Friendship, Respect and Excellence” and the Code of Ethics in Sport.

The Code aims to provide employees and board members with guidance to aid their daily work, as well as creating transparency within the organisations.

Additionally, the document provides clear guidelines to help stamp out corruption and prevent abuse.

The revised version, unified for the two organisations, has been designed to be more compact and includes various clarifications compared to the previous document.

Among the changes is a clear change in the rules which apply to employees of the SOA, compared to those who serve as board members, such as on the Executive Council or Advisory Board.

Rules have focused upon Switzerland’s labour laws, with members of the SOA executive board having to disclose vested interests they may hold.

“Our concern is to create transparency in all our business activities and to take precautions so that we can act decisively in dealing with challenges such as abuse or fraud,” said Jörg Schild, President of the SOA.

“In many cases, corrupt acts are not deliberately committed, instead people tend to slide into them “just like that.

“It is important to have an instrument at hand that aids the recognition of questionable situations and has suggestions at the ready on how to deal with such situations.”

Each member of the SOA and its employees are familiarised with the Code of Conduct as part of their introduction.

To confirm they agree with the terms of the Code of Conduct and will adhere to its rules, employees must sign the document to show their acceptance.

The Code of Conduct can be downloaded by clicking here.