MIES (Switzerland) - The FIBA Safeguarding Council, which was established earlier this year, met this week to discuss the Council’s priorities and opportunities for the coming months.

The FIBA Safeguarding Council is an advisory body to FIBA on matters related to safeguarding and protection of vulnerable groups of basketball participants. It also provides advice on helping to ensure a safe environment for all FIBA stakeholders is in place and address other relevant matters.

The first meeting took place in a hybrid setting, with the Founding Chairman His Royal Highness Prince Feisal Al Hussein and FIBA's Chief Operating Officer Patrick Mariller present at FIBA headquarters, the Patrick Baumann House of Basketball, while other Council members joined online. The discussion focused on the FIBA's revamped Safeguarding Policy and the engagement approaches that should be taken to involve basketball family members in the application of the Policy.

FIBA Secretary General Andreas Zagklis provided a welcome message to HRH Prince Feisal Al Hussein and the Council members to commence the first meeting.

Setting out the priorities for the next period, the Founding Chairman, HRH Prince Feisal Al Hussein, said: "I am very pleased with the discussions we have had and. The complementarity of our experiences and aspirations for safeguarding measures to become an integral part of basketball activities on all levels are reassuring and will help us move ahead and provide support and advice to FIBA Family."

The six additional members of the Safeguarding Council include Slovakia's four-time Olympian Danka Bartekova, FIBA Americas President Carol Callan, international basketball star Astou Ndour-Fall, Romanian Basketball Federation President and FIBA Executive Committee Member Carmen Tocala, award-winning journalist Alan Abrahamson and FIBA Chief Operating Officer Patrick Mariller.  

FIBA