Santiago Meetings Call for a More Transparent Olympic Movement

(ATR) The IOC's Solidarity Commission and the ANOC Executive Council are determined to strengthen the transparency and democracy in which many of the 206 National Olympic Committees currently operate.

That is the result of the meetings both entities held last week in Santiago, Chile, led by their president, Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah.

The gathering also called for the NOCs to be more transparent and exercise a better use of the grant money they receive from the IOC as confirmed by Around The Rings.

In addition to the audits carried out by the IOC, the "self-assessment" program of the NOCs was reviewed, based on the "good governance" rules.

The Olympic Solidarity manages the income from the broadcasting rights of the Olympic Games belonging to the NOCs and distributes it through the programs offered to all NOCs recognized by the IOC.

In Santiago the order of the day also included the successful participation in the PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games.

A record 91 NOCs including a delegation of Russian athletes under the Olympic flag participated in PyeongChang 2018, with six NOCs making their debut. 268 recipients of Olympic Solidarity scholarships from 60 NOCs - 62 percent of the athletes funded for the Winter Games - qualified for PyeongChang 2018, winning 13 Olympic medals and 57 diplomas.

227 Youth Olympic Games graduates from 51 NOCs competed in the last Winter Games winning 26 medals.

The Santiago meetings also pointed out that the political agreements that favored North Korea's presence at the recent Olympic Winter Games are due to Olympic Solidarity support the Communist country received for four years.

The meeting in the Chilean capital also addressed the assistance provided to many NOCs for the athletes that will compete at the Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires between October 6 and 18.

It will be the third edition of the event as 103 NOCs are currently benefiting from a special IOC plan through Olympic Solidarity to also help their athletes qualify for the aforementioned games in Buenos Aires.

The current assistance is higher than the one offered for the previous Youth Summer Games in Nanjing in 2014.

"We are also promoting ways to increase the number of Olympic qualifications in the Pan American Games and other continental games," Ivar Sisniega, general secretary of PanAm Sports and a member of the Olympic Solidarity Commission, said to ATR.

Marisol Casado, president of the International Triathlon Union and member of the IOC, proposed strengthening communication mechanisms between international federations and NOCs.

The new policy "to avoid conflicts of interest" and the Code of Ethics analyzed in the Executive Council of ANOC "will contribute to greater transparency in the NOCs" said Jimena Saldaña, vice president of the Mexican Olympic Committee. Saldaña is also director of channel 11, the first public, educational and cultural television station in Mexico linked to ANOC for almost 30 years.

The Executive Council also praised ANOC’s Secretary-General Gunilla Lindberg for her work as Chair of the IOC Coordination Commission for PyeongChang 2018 and Role of the IOC member Nicole Hoevertsz from Aruba as head of the implementation group for the Olympics after doping scandal, said Saldaña

"The Executive Council heard the latest developments in the commercial program, including the signing of the first Tier 1 sponsor Spark Compass in February, and the ongoing collaboration with the International Federations, with 15 IF meetings taking place in March. Sheikh Ahmad stressed the importance of laying down to blueprint for success with the inaugural ANOC World Beach Games in 2019 to ensure the long-term viability and attractiveness of the event "official statement said.

The Executive Council also approved the creation of a five-member Electoral Commission that will be managing the body’s elections in accordance with the ANOC Constitution. That vote includes the election of the Executive Council President next November in Tokyo.

ATR has been told Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah. should be re-elected at that post without problems until 2022.

Written by Miguel Hernandez

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