The Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), the global governing body for motorsport and the federation for mobility organisations worldwide, hosted the United Against Online Abuse (UAOA) Coalition at the FIA Paris Headquarters for the inaugural UAOA Convening roundtable event on Tuesday 2 June.
Supported by the FIA Foundation and the European Union, the event brought together over 35 national and international partners from across government, policy, sport, academia, and the EU Forum to discuss global pipeline and identify gaps to strengthen the UAOA Coalition’s ways of working against online abuse in sport.
A CATALYST FOR CHANGE
Encompassing the UAOA Coalition pillars, Stronger Together, Evidence-Based and Committed to Action, the event, introduced by FIA President H.E. Mohammed Ben Sulayem, featured expert keynote addresses from Belkhir Balhaddad (Député de la Moselle, Assemblée Nationale), Julia Pélissier (CNOSF), Giulia Scacchi (UNESCO), Benoît Loutrel (ARCOM) and Gabriela Matei (Council of Europe).
Delegates tackled critical policy questions and explored effective, coordinated solutions to combat online abuse in sport. More must be done to foster environments that sportspeople can feel safe to share their experiences and there is a need to strategically coordinate efforts to overcome the restrictions caused by a lack of funding, and to continue to involve parties outside of the sporting ecosystem.
COMMITMENT TO COLLECTIVE ACTION
The FIA remains steadfast in its mission to drive collective action and address one of the most urgent digital and sporting challenges of our time. The inaugural roundtable marked a vital milestone, and the Coalition will continue its strategic vision for long-term behavioural change.
H.E. Mohammed Ben Sulayem, President of the FIA, said: “No one can solve the issue of online abuse alone. This is not just a technology or a sports issue, it is about people, respect and safety. That is why our United Against Online Abuse coalition is continuing to grow and it is great to see our community come together again at our Spring Convening.
“This meeting is about moving forward and taking action together, to shape a safer future for sport. Thank you to all of our partners for your continued commitment and for the work you do every day.”
ENDS
For media inquiries, please contact:
Maria Zander, Corporate Communications Manager: mzander@fia.com
About United Against Online Abuse (UAOA):
The United Against Online Abuse initiative, founded by H.E Mohammed Ben Sulayem, FIA President, in 2023, is a global coalition dedicated to combating online abuse in sport through research, advocacy and collaboration with sport organisations, governments, academics and technology organisations.
About the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA)
The Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) is the governing body for world motor sport and the federation for mobility organisations globally. It is a non-profit organisation committed to driving innovation and championing safety, sustainability and equality across motor sport and mobility.
Founded in 1904, with offices in Paris, London and Geneva, the FIA brings together 245 Member Organisations across five continents, representing millions of road users, motor sport professionals and volunteers. It develops and enforces regulations for motor sport, including six FIA World Championships, to ensure worldwide competitions are safe and fair for all.
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the authors only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or Erasmus +. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
