UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy pledges greater access to sport for youth refugees

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©Petterik Wiggers (2), UNHCR

11/05/2015

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) Honorary President and UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Youth Refugees and Sport, Jacques Rogge, concluded a mission in Ethiopia visiting young South Sudanese refugees last week. Accompanied by IOC Member in Ethiopia Dagmawit Girmay Berhane, he vowed to help provide young refugees with more opportunities to play sport. 

Visiting the Kule and Tierkidi refugee camps in Gambella, where over 200,000 people have sought refuge since violence flared in their homeland two years ago, Rogge met many young refugees and their families. The former IOC President  also watched a number of boys and girls take part in various sporting activities, from athletics to football and volleyball games.

He said: “Sport is a great peace factor. I believe that when teams face each other in refugee camps, they learn to foster respect, reconciliation and friendship.”

The UN Special Envoy took this opportunity to stress the health benefits, and the educational, development and social value of sport and physical activity for youth refugees, asserting that measures will be taken to offer greater access to sport, as the IOC looks to invest in sports facilities and programmes in the region.

Read the full story here
Taking action for youth refugees  
This was the IOC Honorary President’s second field trip with UNHCR since being appointed a UN Special Envoy in 2014. Last October, Jacques Rogge visited the Azraq Refugee Camp in Jordan, which celebrated its first anniversary earlier this month with a week of celebrations, and cultural and physical activities.



To mark this occasion, the camp officially inaugurated the multi-purpose sports ground funded by the IOC. In addition to providing the facility, the IOC, together with local partners, will also implement a full programme for children to play sports including football, volleyball, basketball, field hockey, and handball, in addition to taking part in the recreational programme already underway in the camp. 

Learn more about the IOC’s cooperation with the UN

Learn more about peace through sport

Doha Media Workshop on Women and Sport for Africa, Asia and Oceania

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©IOC/Raitis Purins

12/05/2015

More than one hundred delegates from Africa, Asia and Oceania will participate in a media workshop on women and sport in Doha on 15 and 16 May 2015. Jointly organised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) and the Qatar Olympic Committee, the workshop will bring together women and men who work in sport and media to look at making positive changes for women in sport.

The workshop aims to raise awareness and educate media professionals about the importance of the media in promoting gender equality. It will also provide opportunities for participants to share their experiences and learn from each other.

The speakers will include leaders from the Continental Associations and National Olympic Committees,Olympians, as well as representatives from the media and the business worlds. Among those who will take the floor are the Chair of the IOC Women and Sport Commission, Lydia Nsekera, the Chairperson of the Qatar Women’s Sport Committee and winner of the 2013 IOC Women and Sport Award World Trophy, Ahlam Salem Mubarak Al Mana, as well as the President of the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA), Intendant General Lassana Palenfo, and the OCA President, Sheikh Ahmad Al Fahad Al-Sabah, both IOC Members.

Key themes to be discussed during the two-day event include: Women’s Empowerment and Gender Equality in 2015 and beyond – The key potential of media as a platform to accelerate changes; What is the crucial role men can play in advancing gender equality?; Addressing the imbalance - challenges posed by the media and their impact on gender equality; Promoting leadership of women through the media; Media coverage of women’s events & the “rules” of media coverage; and Why aren’t more women working in sports media?

For further information on the Workshop, visit the Qatar Olympic Committee website at: www.olympic.qa

Learn more about the IOC Women and Sport Commission

Rio 2016 opens application process for Ceremonies

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©IOC

13/05/2015

The Rio 2016 Organising Committee has opened applications for volunteers to take part in the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Watched by an audience of billions around the world, the ceremonies will be one of the highlights of the Games and will include memorable moments such as the athletes’ parade, lighting of the Olympic cauldron and handover of the Olympic flag to the next host city – Tokyo 2020. 

All the ceremonies will take place in Rio’s iconic Maracanã stadium, and the productions will be run by a selection of renowned Brazilian artists, including Fernando Meirelles, who directed the Oscar-nominated film, City of God. 

“The Olympic Movement relies on the talents of volunteers as the backbone of these ceremonies which aim to represent the people and culture of the host nation,” said Rio 2016 Director of Ceremonies Leonardo Caetano. “Volunteers will not only be able to watch the performance, but also be a part of it. There’s no better place to watch the show than from centre stage.” 

With 5,000 volunteers alone set to take part in the Opening Ceremony, there are a huge number of roles available. Applications are open to anyone who is aged 16 or over by 1 April 2016, and all nationalities are welcome, although a basic understanding of Portuguese is required. 

Rio 2016 organisers have stressed that volunteers do not require any previous experience or special talents, just lots of energy and enthusiasm.

“We’re going to recruit people of all ages and backgrounds, with or without artistic experience,” said Rodrigo Raposo, volunteer coordinator for the company Cerimônias Cariocas 2016. “We’re looking for dancers, acrobats, skateboarders, roller-skaters, jugglers and graffiti artists. But most importantly, we are looking for enthusiasm, energy and a willingness to participate.”  

Auditions will begin in November 2015 with rehearsals for successful applicants starting in April 2016.  

Find out more about the volunteer applications at www.rio2016.com

IOC President visits Vanuatu - sees sporting “inspiration” in the wake of devastation left by Cyclone Pam

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04/05/2015

IOC President Thomas Bach arrived in Vanuatu Sunday, just six weeks after the island nation was hit by the devastating storm. The trip, which was planned before the winds battered the country, was an opportunity to discuss with the local sporting movement how the IOC funding will be spent to rejuvenate the sporting facilities.

The IOC is coordinating a plan, with the support of the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC), to rebuild sports facilities and the headquarters of the NOC in Vanuatu.

The USD 500,000 fund will also be used to help Kiribati, Tuvalu and the Solomon Islands, also affected by the disaster.

President Bach visited a hockey and multisport centre badly damaged by the storm, which welcomes more than 1,000 young people a day, training young athletes as well as organising leagues and competitions.

The sports centre has facilities for hockey, basketball, football, futsal, table tennis, boxing, volleyball, netball and cricket.

He also saw the devastation at a sports hall used for basketball, tennis and badminton, where huge panels had been ripped off by the high winds.

“We hope that our contribution will give hope to the whole population. When a nation’s athletes thrive it has a positive effect on the whole community, and when young people get a chance to play sport it can bring a whole community together,” he said.

Later, the President and Director General of the IOC played tennis with local children at a training centre in the capital, Port Vila.

The President also visited Vanuatu rowing club, set up with help from Olympic Solidarity, the Australian and New Zealand rowing federations and the International Rowing Federation (FISA), which provides top level training for young promising athletes.

At a reception at the centre, the IOC President told the audience: “Vanuatu is starting to rebuild, and we are here to take part in this process by helping to rebuild the nation’s sporting infrastructure. We want to support the athletes in this region so that they can return to their sporting life as soon as possible, and prepare for their next sporting challenges.”

Read the full speech here

The Prime Minister Joe Natuman thanked the IOC for its help. “Despite the devastation, sport remains vital to Vanuatu. We will try to support sport in whatever way we can and to respect the independence of sport.”

The IOC President also held a meeting with the President of Vanuatu, Father Baldwin Lonsdale, in which ONOC President and IOC Member Robin Mitchell was awarded the Order of Vanuatu for his services to sport in the country.

In a meeting with the Prime Minister, the two discussed the IOC's help in rebuilding sporting infrastructure in Vanuatu and the role of sport in society, as well as the importance of including sport in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Later, President Bach was welcomed to the headquarters of the National Olympic Committee (VASANOC) by the NOC President, Antoine Boudier, and opened a small museum dedicated to sport and athletes from Vanuatu. At the opening he said: “We came to Vanuatu to encourage you, we are leaving inspired by you. We are inspired by the optimism and by your true Olympic spirit by never giving up. We are happy to contribute to rebuilding your country and, through sport, give hope to people and particularly youth in Vanuatu.”

 

Traditional welcome for IOC President in Auckland, New Zealand, at the new National Olympic Committee HQ

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06/05/2015

IOC President Thomas Bach was welcomed to New Zealand with a traditional powhiri (welcome ceremony) at the new NOC headquarters in Auckland on Tuesday.

“Like the Olympic Movement, the welcome ceremony signifies peace, friendship and equality, and it shows how New Zealanders embrace the same values we do of tolerance and understanding through sport”, he said.

IOC Members Barry Maister (hockey) and Barbara Kendall (windsurfing) were on-hand to greet the President on his first visit to New Zealand. President Bach went on to formally open Olympic House, the home of the New Zealand Olympic Committee. Later, at a press conference, the President encouraged New Zealand to think about hosting the Olympic Games: “You cannot restrict the right to host the Olympics to just 20 countries”, he said. “The Olympic Games are universal and we should open doors and windows. If New Zealand is ready to look into it, we are ready.”

He said that the changes brought about by Olympic Agenda 2020 encouraged countries to think about how the Olympic Games could fit into the social, economic, environmental and sporting needs of a country.

As well as meeting athletes and members of the National Olympic Committee and national sports federations, President Bach also met Minister for Sport and Health the Hon. Dr Jonathan Coleman.

President Bach also had an opportunity to gain insight into New Zealand’s strong sporting system. On Wednesday, he visited athletes at the Rowing New Zealand High Performance Centre in Cambridge, and after a visit to the local school he went on to the Avantidrome home of New Zealand Cycling, where he met a number of New Zealand Olympic medallists and hopefuls for next year's Games in Rio de Janeiro.

At the Avantidrome, the President also had an off-the-cuff talk with a group of 20 New Zealand athletes. They discussed the upcoming Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, changes to the sports programme and the reforms being implemented under Olympic Agenda 2020, the strategic roadmap for the future of the Olympic Movement.

Promotion of women in sport: Action in Europe

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©IOC/Filip Klimaszewski

11/05/2015

Organised under the auspices of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), a three-day  international “Leadership and Talent Development” Women and Sport Seminar has brought together some 70 leading female figures representing a variety of sports, organisations, careers and experiences from over 30 countries to the capital of Poland, Warsaw.

The delegates were welcomed by Polish National Olympic Committee (NOC) President Andrzej Kraśnicki and the Minister for Sport and Tourism, Andrzej Biernat, as well as the IOC Member in Poland, Irena Szewinska, who is behind this seminar. The training sessions and discussions, held from 27 to 29 April, were also attended by Chair of the IOC Women and Sport Commission and IOC Member Lydia Nsekera.

Towards gender equality in decision-making 
As for many previous seminars, the main theme focused on the place and role of women in contemporary sport. As indicated by its slogan, “I want to…; I can…; I will…”, the Warsaw seminar aimed to strengthen the participants’ knowledge and competences in management. It sought to empower them and help them access positions of responsibility in decision-making and administrative organs of NOCs and other national sports organisations. This is exactly in the spirit of Olympic Agenda 2020, the IOC’s strategic roadmap for the future of the Olympic Movement.

The IOC reaffirmed its commitment to working with International Federations (IFs) and NOCs as well as various regional, national and international platforms, such as the UN and UN Women. It aims to increase the possibilities for girls and women in sport at all levels and to achieve the goal of female athletes representing 50 per cent of the athletes taking part in the Olympic Games, as well as to promote the participation and presence of women in sport generally.

Call to action   
Delegates taking part in the seminar were informed about the current situation of women and sport in the European Union through presentations from the Chair of the European Olympic Committees (EOC) Gender Equality in Sport Commission, Daina Gudzineviciute, and member of the EOC Athletes’ Commission Tatiana Lebedeva. Helen Brownlee, Chair of the ONOC Women and Sport Commission, shared some of the best practices developed by Oceania NOCs for promoting women’s sport in the region.

During her speech, Lydia Nsekera reiterated the need for action: “On the field of play, we have almost reached our objective of parity. Off the field of play, it’s another story, another match that we have not yet won”, she said, before calling on the delegates to take responsibility and act so that more women can access positions of responsibility, either by standing as candidates themselves or supporting other women’s candidatures.

Learn more about the promotion of women in sport

IOC Executive Board meeting and 2022 Candidate City Briefing for IOC Members from 7 to 10 June 2015 – Information for the media

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11/05/2015

IOC Executive Board meeting The International Olympic Committee (IOC) Executive Board (EB) will meet at the IOC headquarters in Vidy, Lausanne, on 7 and 8 June 2015. 

The EB will discuss the implementation of Olympic Agenda 2020, and is scheduled to receive reports from various IOC commissions, as well as updates on the activities of the IOC administration and preparations for the forthcoming Olympic Games and Youth Olympic Games. 

2022 Candidate City Briefing for IOC MembersThe 2022 Candidate City Briefing for IOC Members will take place at The Olympic Museum, on 9 June 2015.
The purpose of this presentation is to give the opportunity to the 2022 Cities to present their 2022 bidding project to all the IOC voting members, and to give the IOC members the possibility to put questions to the Cities on their bids prior to the election, which is set to take place during the 128th IOC Session in Kuala Lumpur on 31 July. For the first time, and following the Olympic Agenda 2020 recommendation, the 2022 Evaluation Commission will also address the IOC members and the Presidents and Secretaries General of the Winter International Federations and take their questions.

Please note that the briefings made by the Candidate Cities to the IOC members on 9 June at The Olympic Museum will be closed to the media. However, photos and video footage of each delegation inside the room before they start their respective presentations will be made available (see details below). 

On 10 June, each City will have a separate room in the Lausanne Palace Hotel, where it can display models, show bid videos, answer questions, etc. In the morning, IOC members will visit each City’s presentation room from 8.30 a.m. to 12.00 p.m. The rooms will then be open to the media from 2 p.m.

Media accreditation:
The same accreditation will enable you to cover the IOC Executive Board meeting at the IOC Headquarters and the 2022 Candidate City Briefing for IOC Members at The Olympic Museum, as well as access the 2022 Candidate Cities’ presentation rooms at the Lausanne Palace Hotel. Please note that accreditations will be processed on the IOC website, and the deadline for registration is Monday 1 June 2015.

If you have already registered for previous meetings, please access your profile using your e-mail address and tick the box for the June 2015 EB and 2022 Briefing for IOC Members.
For journalists who have not yet registered, please follow the instructions provided.  

Click here to access the media accreditation system.

Should you have any issues when registering, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Accreditation cards will be distributed upon your arrival at the IOC headquarters during the Executive Board meeting on 7 and 8 June. You can also collect them on 9 June at The Olympic Museum in the press working room (2nd floor).

Schedule of events:Please click here for the complete schedule of events. 

Venues:IOC Headquarters
Château de Vidy, 1007 Lausanne, Switzerland  

The Olympic Museum
Quai d'Ouchy 1, 1006 Lausanne, Switzerland 

The Lausanne Palace Hotel
Rue du Grand-Chêne 7, 1003 Lausanne, Switzerland

Media facilities:
Media working rooms equipped with free wireless internet access will be available in all three venues, and the opening hours are:

IOC Headquarters    7 June from 2  to 9 p.m.
                                8 June from 8.30 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Olympic Museum    9 June from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Lausanne Palace    9 June from 5  to 9 p.m.
                              10 June from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Media catering will be provided at all three venues on 8, 9 and 10 June, to cover lunches and coffee breaks.

Accommodation:Media representatives are requested to make their own arrangements.

Broadcast coverage of the 2022 Candidate City Briefing for IOC Members: The 2022 Candidate City Briefing for IOC Members on 9 June at the Olympic Museum will be closed to the media. There will be no CATV feed.

An ENG crew will pool raw video footage of the delegations entering the room and taking the podium before they start their respective presentations (approx. 30 seconds), and this will be made available in the media workroom at no charge (please see below for more information).

This photo opportunity will also be available to a very small pool of photographers, which will include international agencies, plus a national pool for each Candidate City.

There will be a mixed zone available for interviews as each delegation leaves the room after their presentation.

There will be production and transmission facilities at the Olympic Museum to assist broadcasters covering the event. The following facilities will be made available:

• SD/HD stand-up positions for live programme inserts
• SD/HD tape playout (multi-format)
• SD/HD connectivity to the Eurovision Global Network
• Footage of the entrance of the delegations in the presentation room will be pooled and made available to broadcasters free of charge.
• Dubbing will be provided onto DVCAM, P2 or file on to broadcasters’ own hard disk or USB stick.
• The feed-point will be operational on 9 June, and will be located at The Olympic Museum. To reserve a live stand-up or playout, please contact:

Eurovision - Nathalie Minard
Email: bookings@eurovision.net 
Tel:     +41 22 717 28 40

Press conference: teleconference call
Media representatives who will not be in Lausanne will have the possibility of listening to the President’s press conference live on 8 June by teleconference.

The number and access code will be as follows:

+41 (0)91 612 43 30 (Europe)
+44 (0)207 108 6233 (UK)
+1 (1)631 982 4566 (USA)
+81 (0)350 50 12 78 (Tokyo)

For a full list of phone numbers in your country, please click here.
PIN code (access code): 5860347#

Please contact the IOC Communications Department one day in advance to confirm the time of the press briefing and the press conference.