Thereby, the COB says it is reaffirming its commitment to a healthy environment in sport and is making available to athletes an open channel for reporting cases of moral and sexual abuse.

The Policy will also be enforceable by members of the Brazilian delegations to international competitions as well as all staff and members of COB management levels, service providers and volunteers.

Breaches of the Policy will be subject to penalties ranging from fines to bans from Olympic sport.

"The set of actions envisaged by this Policy will make sure that not just the athletes, but also all the parties involved in Brazilian sport, will be offered a welcoming and guidance environment, additional protection and prevention of possible harassment and abuse practices," COB President Paulo Wanderley said.

"By adopting the Policy on the Fight Against and Prevention of Moral and Sexual Harassment, the COB is taking a further important step towards enhancing ethics and integrity in sport."

In drafting the policy, the COB counted on support by United Nations Women, which provided orientation and information on the subject.

Another reference was the document issued by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in November 2017 to safeguard athletes from harassment and abuse in sport.

This was aimed at the whole Olympic Movement and is part of Olympic Agenda 2020.

"The key objective is to establish a healthier work and training environment for the athletes," Wanderley added.

"This Policy is special and among the best in the world of sport and, because of it, Brazil now joins a select group of countries that have adopted policies against harassment, such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Norway, Canada and Australia."

The Policy has been presented to COB staff who attended what was described as an informative and educational lecture on the subject at COB auditorium in Rio de Janeiro.

The presentation was delivered by Antonio Carlos Hencsey a representative of the company Protiviti that specialises in the subject.

Incidents can be reported through the COB Reporting and Ethics Channel, which is accessible here, or in person to COB compliance officer William Evangelista da Silva, who will investigate and take the cases to COB Ethics Council for analysis.

During sport competitions, besides the channels offered by COB, the Chef de Mission will also be fully empowered to receive complaints and enforce the applicable penalties.

The COB announced the appointment of Da Silva, a lawyer, as their compliance officer earlier this year. 

He will manage the COB Reporting and Ethics Channel, which was set-up in May.

His hiring came with the COB looking to improve its sports governance.

The governing body was suspended by the IOC in October 2017 after former President Carlos Nuzman was arrested on corruption charges.

Nuzman, also the head of the Rio 2016 Summer Olympics and Paralympics, is accused of being involved in bribes which were allegedly paid to secure the Games for the Brazilian city.

He denies the allegations against him and the COB had its membership restored in February after he departed the organisation to be replaced by Wanderley.

The Policy on the Fight Against and Prevention of Moral and Sexual Harassment, which can be viewed here, also produced a guide on the subject that will be delivered to the participants of the meetings of the Athletes' Commission, Board of Directors and Presidents of the Brazilian Confederations.

All 35 Brazilian Confederations affiliated to COB will be invited to voluntarily sign the statement of acquiescence to the actions proposed by the COB towards the prevention of sexual abuse and harassment in the sport environment. 

The Confederations that have already adopted their own policies will not be required to sign the statement.