Discussions about ensuring and safeguarding the autonomy of the Olympic and Sports Movement concluded yesterday at the close of a two-day seminar organised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in Lausanne with adoption of a seven-point resolution. Please click below for additional documents:

Preliminary document: basic Universal Principles of Good Governance of the Olympic and Sports Movement

Resolutions of the second seminar on the autonomy of the Olympic and Sports Movement

Action plan: second seminar on the autonomy of the Olympic and Sports Movement

Gathering some 170 participants from International Federations (IFs), National Olympic Committees (NOCs) and their respective associations, as well as IOC Members and senior IOC staff, the second Seminar on the Autonomy of the Olympic and Sports Movement aimed to assess when and why the autonomy of sport has been threatened since September 2006 – the date of the first such seminar, and to agree on a set of principles and mechanisms that would help sports organisations deal with these issues.

The IOC reported that since 2006 some ten serious interferences in sports’ structures and regulations had been brought to its attention, clearly indicating a need to put in place systems to help the Sports Movement to protect its independence not only from governments but also from commercial partners and other bodies.

Participants reaffirmed that the responsibility that sport has in society, and the autonomy with which it regulates itself, have led to its credibility and legitimacy. Autonomy enables sports organisations to treat everybody equally, independently from culture, religion, gender and other diversities.

Worldwide rules of the Olympic and Sports Movement preserve the universality of sport and its noble cause. Sport can play its unique role thanks to its autonomy and this role could be seriously compromised if sport-governing bodies are subject to any kind of interference.

However, attendees of the seminar agreed that good governance and unity was crucial if the sports movement was to justify and claim its autonomy.

They discussed and supported a document entitled ‘Basic universal principles of good governance of the Olympic and Sports Movement’ that would serve as a reference for all sports organisations.

As indicated in its title, the document aims to be simple, reasonable, acceptable and practical for all stakeholders across the globe.

This working document will shape the discussions that will take place during the 2009 Olympic Congress where the topic will be prominently on the agenda.

Seminar participants also agreed to create an Olympic and Sports Network tasked to preserve the autonomy of sport, to facilitate exchange of information and enable stakeholders to react quickly to upcoming threats.

In his conclusion, IOC President Jacques Rogge presented the project, and gave details on how it would be put in place and function.

‘It is time to act and to act quickly’, said Rogge who led the meetings over the last two days. ‘This second seminar is an important milestone in our ongoing work to protect the autonomy of sport. Good governance and unity within the Olympic and Sports Movement and of course constructive relations with governments and intergovernmental organisations are key in this process. This is why I was keen to get everybody together to progress on this important topic in the lead-up to the Olympic Congress in 2009. I would like to thank the participants for their active participation and look forward to working with them over the next year,’ he added.

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Olympic movement starts overhaul process

The International Olympic Movement has launched a public consultation to address emerging issues such as the decline in sports participation among young people and management of sports rights in the digital age as part of efforts to shape its future development.

The consultation, launched on 15 January, addresses a series of themes at the heart of the movement: the athletes, the Olympic Games, the structure of the movement, Olympics and Youth and the digital revolution.

The main trends emerging from the contributions will lead to a series of recommendations to be discussed at the Olympic Congress in October 2009. The goal of the Congress, entitled “The Olympic Movement in Society”, is to analyse the current state of the Movement and to determine the way forward for its future development.

The areas addressed include the athletes’ relationships with their clubs, their health protection and careers after elite competition, Olympic values, good governance and the ethics of the movement.

The consultation also invites reflections on the reasons for the decline in physical activity and sports participation among young people, the role sport should play in the education system and changes in the management of sports rights in the age of digital revolution.

Contributions are welcomed by the general public and the Olympic Movement, which consists of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Organising Committees of the Olympic Games (OCOGs), the National Olympic Committees (NOCs), the International Federations (IFs), the national associations, clubs and the athletes.

After the Commission adopted its White Paper on Sport in July 2007, it has been engaged in putting into practice a well-structured dialogue on sport in Europe to follow up on the initiatives presented in the White Paper. The aim is also to organise an annual European Sport Forum to provide a platform for regular exchange of views on developments in EU sports policy.