The Olympic Movement encompasses organisations,
athletes and other persons who agree to be guided by the Olympic Charter
Mission of the IOC
The International Olympic Committee is the supreme authority of the Olympic
Movement. Its role is to promote top-level sport as well as sport for all in
accordance with the Olympic Charter.
It ensures the regular celebration
of the Olympic Games and strongly encourages, by appropriate means, the
promotion of women in sport, that of sports ethics and the protection of
athletes.
The IOC is composed of a maximum of 115 co-opted members (however until 31
December 2003, the total number of IOC members may reach 130) who meet in
Session at least once a year. The Session elects a President for a term of eight
years, renewable once for four years, and Executive Board members for terms of
four years.
By retaining all rights relating to the organisation, marketing, broadcasting
and reproduction of the Olympic Games, the IOC ensures the continuity of a
unique and universal event.
The Olympic Movement receives most of its
funding from the Olympic Games rights bought by broadcast networks. However, it
also benefits from the Olympic Partners world-wide sponsorship programme (TOP)
comprising multinational companies.
Evolution
Following the corruption allegations made in December 1998 against the Bid
Committee for the XIX Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City in 2002, IOC
President Samaranch immediately appointed a Commission to gather evidence. Six
weeks later, the IOC published the results of its inquiry and recommended to the
Session that the members involved be punished. The crisis resulted in four
resignations, six expulsions and ten official warnings.
This crisis showed the IOC members how much they needed to modernise their
institution. This was undertaken in a very short space of time, with radical
decisions taken during 1999:
- Procedure for electing candidate cities for 2006 amended and visits by IOC
members to candidate cities abolished.
- 15 active Olympic athletes, elected
by their peers at the Olympic Games.
- Creation of a Nominations Commission
for IOC membership.
- Mandate of IOC Members to last eight years, renewable
through re-election.
- IOC to have a maximum of 115 members.
-
Presidential mandate limited to eight years, renewable once for four years.
-
15 members to come from IFs, 15 from the NOCs and 70 other as individual
members.
- Age limit lowered to 70.
- Creation of the IOC Ethics
Commission.
- Creation of the World Anti-Doping Agency.
- Greater
financial transparency through the publication of financial reports on the
sources and use of the Olympic Movement's income.
- IOC Session opened to the
media for the first time.
