IOC introduces new working groups

The creation of the working groups forms part of IOC president Thomas Bach’s Olympic Agenda 2020, his roadmap towards a renewed Olympic Movement. The agenda-work will see some of the key pillars of the Olympics discussed and evaluated with the aim of modernising the IOC.

Bach presented the project last year and invited all stakeholders including the Olympic movement, the sports movement at large as well as the general public to give their opinion on five different themes:

• The uniqueness of the Olympic Games
• Athletes: at the heart of the Olympic Movement
• Olympism in action: keep Olympism alive 365 days a year
• The IOC’s role: unity in diversity
• IOC structure and organisation

14 working groups have now been set up to discuss the incoming suggestions. To represent the broadness of the proposals, the working groups have been made up by both people from inside the Olympic world, such as IOC members, IFs, NOCs and athletes, but representatives from international organisations, business organisations and NGOs have also been invited “as part of the ongoing and inclusive process”, says the press release from the IOC.

Among the representatives from ‘civil society’ are Google president Eric Schmidt, who will take part in the working group ‘Olympism in action including Youth Strategy’, a group which will also be joined by The Clinton Foundation and Coca-Cola marketing director Français Emmanuel Seuge.

The working group on ‘Good Governance and Autonomy’, headed by Craig Reedie, wil be joined by Huguette Labelle, director of Transparency International, and Leonard Mccarthy, Integrity vice-president of the World Bank.

Only one working group will not have external experts around the table, the group discussing IOC membership.