The Worldwide Olympic Committee (IOC) reiterates its sturdy place towards the politicization of sport. This place is a elementary precept of the Olympic Constitution, which states:
“Recognizing that sport takes place inside the framework of society, sports activities organizations inside the Olympic Motion should keep political neutrality. They’ve the rights and duties of autonomy, which embrace the free dedication and management of the foundations of sport, the dedication of the construction and management of their organizations, the suitable to elections with none exterior affect and the accountability for respecting the rules of fine governance belong utilized.”
The Olympic Constitution additionally states:
“The IOC’s mission is to advertise Olympism worldwide and lead the Olympic Motion. The function of the IOC is to (…) oppose any political or business abuse of sport and athletes.”
These rules have been repeatedly acknowledged and supported in recent times by a number of United Nations (UN) Basic Meeting resolutions, together with the express “recognition of the basic rules of the Olympic Constitution” (A/RES/78/10 – Constructing a peaceable and higher future) . World by means of sport and the Olympic splendid from November 2023).
These resolutions have additionally supported the IOC's management function, specifically decision A/RES/77/27 – Sport as an enabler of sustainable improvement of November 2022, which states that the UN Basic Meeting “helps the independence and autonomy of sport”. and the mission of the Worldwide Olympic Committee in main the Olympic Motion and the Worldwide Paralympic Committee in main the Paralympic Motion.”
Most of those resolutions had been adopted by consensus by all UN member states, excluding the latest decision, which was adopted solely by the Russian Federation and the Syrian Arab Republic with abstentions.
The IOC notes that the Russian authorities intends to arrange purely politically motivated sporting occasions in Russia, opposite to the essential rules of the Olympic Constitution and UN Basic Meeting resolutions. The Russian authorities based and financed the Worldwide Friendship Affiliation (IFA) to host the Friendship Video games in summer time and winter.
Apparently, the primary version of the “Summer time Pleasant Video games” is deliberate to be held in September 2024 in Moscow and Yekaterinburg, Russia, and the “Winter Pleasant Video games” in 2026 in Sochi, Russia.
To this finish, the Russian authorities has launched a really intensive diplomatic offensive, partaking authorities delegations and ambassadors, in addition to ministerial and different authorities companies, with governments world wide. With a purpose to make their purely political motivation even clearer, they intentionally bypass the sports activities organizations of their goal international locations. This can be a blatant violation of the Olympic Constitution and on the identical time a violation of the assorted UN resolutions.
It’s a cynical try by the Russian Federation to politicize sport. The IOC Athletes Fee, which represents all Olympic athletes on the planet, clearly rejects the usage of athletes for political propaganda. The Fee even sees a danger that athletes might be pressured by their governments to participate in such a totally politicized sporting occasion and thereby be used as a part of a political propaganda marketing campaign.
The Russian authorities additionally reveals full disrespect for international anti-doping requirements and competitors integrity. This is identical authorities that was implicated within the systemic doping program on the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics and later within the manipulation of anti-doping knowledge.
Simply final week, the World Anti-Doping Company (WADA) expressed its “ongoing issues about Russia’s plans to host the Pleasant Video games in September 2024, an unsanctioned occasion. Specifically, it’s worrying that the occasion won’t happen.” Below the safety of the World Anti-Doping Code (Code), the well being and equity of athletes could also be in danger. WADA urges all signatories to the code to train warning and to not legitimize this occasion, because the company can’t vouch for the anti-doping program, which can or might not be in place. This place is bolstered by the truth that the Nationwide Anti-Doping Company of Russia (RUSADA) is at the moment not in compliance with the Code, there’s at the moment no WADA-accredited laboratory in Russia, and the final confidence within the anti-doping system in Russia remains to be low. ”
For all these causes:
- the blatant violation of the Olympic Constitution;
- the violation of the respective UN resolutions;
- the disregard for athletes and the integrity of sporting competitions;
The Olympic Motion strongly condemns any initiative to fully politicize sport, specifically the Russian authorities's institution of totally politicized sporting occasions.
The IOC urges all contributors within the Olympic Motion and all governments to reject any involvement in and assist of initiatives that goal to fully politicize worldwide sport.