Doping - U.N. convention approves list of banned sports drugs

PARIS (Reuters) - A United Nations convention that brings together governments in the fight against doping has approved the World Anti-Doping Agency's (WADA) list of prohibited substances, a U.N. official said on Tuesday.

The convention came into force at the start of the month, backed by 41 governments which have promised to throw their legislative might against the use of banned substances.

The WADA list was approved last year and introduced at sporting events at the start of January.

"The prohibited list was approved by the convention in its entirety," said Paul Marriott-Lloyd, UNESCO's anti-doping expert. "The list is an integral part of the convention because it is so critical to have harmonisation between governments and sporting authorities in the fight against doping."

By approving the document, the member governments of the convention endorsed the sporting world's code of conduct, making it easier for police and investigators to crack down against doping and trafficking of banned substances.