The Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), the global governing body for motor sport and the federation for mobility organisations worldwide, today welcomed the Republic of Uzbekistan as the newest signatory to the United Against Online Abuse (UAOA) Charter at the start of the FIA Annual General Assemblies week in Tashkent. 

Mohammed Ben Sulayem, FIA President and Founder of UAOA, met with Adkham Ilkhamovich Ikramov, Minister of Sports of the Republic of Uzbekistan, to sign the UAOA Charter and welcome Uzbekistan to a growing global coalition of clubs, federations, governments, technology partners and academic institutions that are working together to tackle online abuse in sport. 

Online abuse is recognised as one of the biggest issues facing the world of sport today, posing a threat to performance, welfare and participation, affecting athletes, officials, volunteers and fans at every level of sport. The scale and the different forms of online abuse, as well as the tools for monitoring and managing it, are evolving with the technology landscape, including the emergence of artificial intelligence. 

As a nation with a strong sporting heritage and a powerhouse in modern sport, the Republic of Uzbekistan is committed to championing safer digital environments in sport to protect the welfare of its national talent and recognises the power of a united and global approach.  

Mohammed Ben Sulayem, FIA President and Founder of UAOA, said:  

“I am delighted to welcome Minister of Sports Adkham Ilkhamovich Ikramov and The Government of the Republic of Uzbekistan as the latest partner in our United Against Online Abuse coalition. Sport is one of the greatest forces for good in society and we must safeguard its future.  

Together, with a growing coalition of over 75 partners around the world, we are delivering lasting change by tackling online abuse and protecting our global sporting community.” 

Adkham Ilkhamovich Ikramov, Minister of Sports, Republic of Uzbekistan, said:  

“We are proud to sign the United Against Online Abuse Charter here in Tashkent. Sport is a source of pride, unity and inspiration, not fear or intimidation. We look forward to supporting this global coalition, which ishelping to protect our athletes, officials and supporters and leading the international effort to build a safer digital environment for sport.” 

The FIA’s UAOA campaign is a research-led coalition supported by the FIA Foundation. Founded in 2023 by FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem, the campaign has witnessed rapid growth in recent months and was recently awarded Peace and Sport’s prestigious Coalition for Peace award in recognition of its world-leading efforts building a formidable campaign driving meaningful change. 

Uniting international sport federations and organisations, national governments and technology platforms, UAOA is dedicated to tackling online abuse in sport and fostering behavioural change through education and research. 

To date, the UAOA coalition has welcomed endorsements from the Governments of Greece, France, Slovenia, Albania, Australia, Kenya, Costa Rica, Namibia, South Africa, Rwanda, Georgia and the Republic of Paraguay, alongside organisations such as the University of Notre Dame, the Association of IOC Recognised International Sports Federations (ARISF) which represents one million athletes, sports federations including Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM) that has over 50 World Championships, the International Esports Federation, ASETEK SimSports, International Federation of American Football, Paris Basketball Foundation, International Federation for Sports Officials (IFSO), Peace and Sport Monaco, UNESCO, the Council of Europe, Clark Hill LLP, Arwen.AI, Signify and Dublin City University.

ENDS 

For media enquiries please contact:  

Sophia Martin-Pavlou, Corporate Communications Director: smartin-pavlou@fia.com 

Maria Zander, Corporate Communications Manager: mzander@fia.com 

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 seven FIA World Championships, to ensure worldwide competitions are safe and fair for all.