You might not have heard from me in a while. But just because we haven’t met at an outreach stand at a venue, doesn’t mean I haven’t been busy!

I’m writing this on a train travelling back from an IOC Workshop in beautiful Lausanne. The workshop’s title was: ‘Train-the-Trainers: Safeguarding Essentials for Safeguarding Focal Points Programme’.

So what did the workshop consist of?

The workshop was focused on supporting IF Safeguarding Officers to deliver mid-level safeguarding education programmes on a national level within their sports.

A total of 42 representatives from 30 IFs took part in group work that led to many thought-provoking discussions. It was especially interesting to see safeguarding practices being applied across a variety of sports and contexts, presenting a great opportunity for delegates to connect and learn from one another.

We were also reminded of the importance of the work of each individual involved in Safeguarding. In the words of the IOC Safe Sport Unit’s Gloria Viservas: “Policies don’t protect people. People do.”

Applying the workshop’s learnings and insights

The BIU is starting a new initiative including new responsibilities for Organising Committees (OCs). Starting with the 2026-27 season, every OC will have to appoint an Event Safeguarding Officer.

Their main responsibilities will be:

 

·         To be present/reachable throughout the event

·         To know how to respond to incidents (who to contact, etc.)

·         To be the first point of contact within the OC for Safeguarding matters (with the support of the BIU).

The main aim of this initiative is to make sure there is a local contact person available for teams in case incidents occur (especially if no one from the BIU is available). Training will be provided by the BIU – and developing this training programme is my next task.

Another of my tasks during this off-season is continuing the BIU’s work on the Safe Harbour project, the European Commission-backed initiative which aims to boost the capacity of the European sports movement to respond to safeguarding concerns and violations.

Right now, we’re talking about setting up the European Network for Safeguarding in Sport (ENSS). This is a major milestone of the project because it will continue to operate long after the project itself comes to an end. The aim is for the network to become a space where a variety of sports and organisations can connect, share ideas and good practice, and maintain Safeguarding momentum in European sport.

The group, which includes two IFs (the IBU and the International Ice Hockey Federation) and more than 25 NOCs, will meet again face to face this June in Frankfurt.

I’m really excited to participate in another round of good discussions and new perspectives.

Katharina Gatterer

BIU Safeguarding & Education Officer