The International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced this past weekend sweeping changes to the IOC Commissions which will hopefully impact the Olympics in a positive way in the future.
President Thomas Bach announced the changes that are a direct result of the reforms stemming from implementation of Olympic Agenda 2020 and the Olympic Movement.
First, President Bach has significantly increased the number of women nominated to a commission compared to two years ago when he was first elected, with a third (32%) of places now taken by women. That is a 49% increase since he took office. There are also increases in the numbers of members from Africa and Oceania, as well as an increase in the number of chair persons from the Africa and Asia now accounting for 34%.
The commissions now also include more representatives from the different stakeholders of the Olympic Movement and, for the first time, representatives from international organizations such as the United Nations.
“These changes are another major step in the implementation of Olympic Agenda 2020, the strategic roadmap for the future of the Olympic Movement,” said IOC President Thomas Bach. “They demonstrate the close dialogue with our stakeholders and society at large, with whom we started this process nearly two years ago. The increase of women’s participation and the broader geographical representation will encourage more inclusive decision making,” he said.
Among the changes, two entirely new commissions have been created: an Olympic Channel Commission, which will ensure that all relevant stakeholders and expertise are consulted throughout the growth and development of the Olympic Channel; and a Communications Commission, which will help to develop strategies to support the promotion of the Olympic values, and the IOC’s vision and mission to a global audience.
