MIAMI, FL (Monday, May 12, 2014) – The Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF), announced today the signing of a formal cooperation agreement with the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) aimed at intensifying the ongoing work to combat match-fixing in football.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the two organizations will enhance joint efforts to safeguard the integrity of the sport through the sharing of resources and experiences in relation to sports integrity initiatives.

“At CONCACAF we are determined to eradicate this scourge from football through education, surveillance and sanction of those involved in any unethical and unlawful behavior that would undermine the legitimate nature of the game,” said CONCACAF President Jeffrey Webb.

“Working together with INTERPOL will allow us to tap into their vast expertise in this area. The football family must continue to play an intrinsic part on the battle against match fixing. However, we mustn’t forget to work in partnership with all other stakeholders, such as other sports, governments, media, fans and society as a whole,” added Webb.

The MoU covers the areas of coordinated training programs and workshops against match-fixing and corruption in sports through prevention and education programs for players, referees and officials within all three regions of CONCACAF.

“This agreement formalizes the extremely constructive and fruitful relationship between INTERPOL and CONCACAF, as seen by the joint initiatives we have already delivered to our member countries,” said INTERPOL Secretary General Ronald K. Noble.

“We are united in our determination to protect the ‘beautiful game’ and in our collective commitment to educate and support all those involved in this fight including law enforcement, players and officials to ensure the public can maintain confidence in the integrity of all sports” concluded the INTERPOL Chief.

CONCACAF recently launched a blanket prevention initiative titled ‘Protect Yourself and Keep Your Sport Clean’ for players, coaches and officials participating in CONCACAF championships at all age levels.

Last year CONCACAF took part in a joint INTERPOL-FIFA Integrity in Sport workshop in New York, and participated in a similar workshop in Guatemala in 2012.

In November, CONCACAF appointed Dr. Laila Mintas as Director of Sports Integrity. She has been charged with coordinating all efforts against match-fixing in the region. Dr. Mintas previously worked as the Head of Legal and International Development for FIFA’s Early Warning System (EWS) in Zurich