An
Olympic Congress is a large gathering of representatives from the different constituencies of the Olympic Movement, organised by the
International Olympic CommitteeThe International Olympic Committee is an organization based in Lausanne, Switzerland, created by Pierre de Coubertin and Demetrios Vikelas on 23 June 1894. Its membership consists of the 205 National Olympic Committees....
(IOC). As detailed in chapter 1, rule 4 of the
Olympic CharterThe Olympic Charter, last updated July 7, 2007, is a set of rules and guidelines for the organization of the Olympic Games, and for governing the Olympic Movement. Adopted by International Olympic Committee , it is the codification of the Fundamental Principles, Rules and By-laws. French and...
, the IOC President is responsible for convening a Congress, presiding over its proceedings and for determining its procedures. Olympic Congresses are not regular events in the IOC’s calendar. As the Olympic Charter states, “The Olympic Congress gathers representatives of the constituents of the Olympic Movement, at intervals determined by the IOC”.
As the role of an Olympic Congress is consultative, all recommendations from the Congress must be submitted to the IOC Session for formal adoption.
An
Olympic Congress is a large gathering of representatives from the different constituencies of the Olympic Movement, organised by the
International Olympic CommitteeThe International Olympic Committee is an organization based in Lausanne, Switzerland, created by Pierre de Coubertin and Demetrios Vikelas on 23 June 1894. Its membership consists of the 205 National Olympic Committees....
(IOC). As detailed in chapter 1, rule 4 of the
Olympic CharterThe Olympic Charter, last updated July 7, 2007, is a set of rules and guidelines for the organization of the Olympic Games, and for governing the Olympic Movement. Adopted by International Olympic Committee , it is the codification of the Fundamental Principles, Rules and By-laws. French and...
, the IOC President is responsible for convening a Congress, presiding over its proceedings and for determining its procedures. Olympic Congresses are not regular events in the IOC’s calendar. As the Olympic Charter states, “The Olympic Congress gathers representatives of the constituents of the Olympic Movement, at intervals determined by the IOC”.
As the role of an Olympic Congress is consultative, all recommendations from the Congress must be submitted to the IOC Session for formal adoption. The first Olympic Congress was held in
ParisParis is the capital of France and the country's most populous city. It is situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, France in 1894. It was this Congress which founded and established the IOC and laid the groundwork for its statutes. The process of revival of the modern Olympic Games also began at the Paris Congress of 1894.
After 1894, and until 1930, there were eight Congresses covering various issues related to the burgeoning Olympic Movement. The last Congress before the Second World War was held in
BerlinBerlin is the capital city and one of sixteen states of Germany. With a population of 3.4 million within its city limits, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city and the eighth most populous urban area in the European Union...
in 1930. After this time, there was then an interruption of more than forty years until the 10th Olympic Congress was held in
VarnaVarna is the largest city and seaside resort on the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast and in Northern Bulgaria, third-largest in Bulgaria after Sofia and Plovdiv, and 77th-largest in the European Union, with a population of 355,450 .Commonly referred to as the marine capital of Bulgaria, Varna is a...
, Bulgaria in 1973. Successive Congresses were held in
Baden-BadenBaden-Baden is a town in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is located on the western foothills of the Black Forest, on the banks of the Oos River, in the region of Karlsruhe.- History :The German word 'Baden' translates as 'to bath/bathe'...
, Germany in 1981 and then in Paris, France in 1994.
Post World War II
In his book entitled One Hundred Years of Olympic Congresses, Norbert Müller states that
Pierre de CoubertinPierre de Frédy, Baron de Coubertin was a French pedagogue and historian, founder of the International Olympic Committee, and considered father of the modern Olympic Games.-Biography:...
viewed Olympic Congresses “as intellectual guidance and justification” and “used them to unite modern sport, science, and the arts”. But the Congresses, especially those after the Second World War, were the catalyst for some significant developments in the Olympic Movement.
Varna, Bulgaria 1973
At the heart of the debate in Varna was the issue of amateurism. Interestingly this topic featured in the discussions of nearly all the Congresses prior to 1930. At the Congress in Varna the IOC Eligibility Commission was tasked with examining the issue of eligibility, at that time found under Rule 26 of the Olympic Charter. The Commission’s work was brought to fruition the following year at the 75th IOC Session when delegates adopted a new eligibility rule. The new rule authorised financial and material assistance for elite sportsmen and women, but prohibited personal profit derived from a sporting activity.
Baden-Baden, Germany 1981
The concerns of the athletes took centre place at the Congress in
Baden-BadenBaden-Baden is a town in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is located on the western foothills of the Black Forest, on the banks of the Oos River, in the region of Karlsruhe.- History :The German word 'Baden' translates as 'to bath/bathe'...
. This was the first time that athletes played a leading role in a Congress and could express their opinions on the issues under discussion. This Congress paved the way for the creation of the IOC Athlete’s Commission, which celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2007.
Paris, France 1994
The primary concern of the Congress in Paris was the protection of the environment. The delegates focused on developing measures to optimise the Olympic Movement’s contribution to preserving the environment. The 1994 Congress was the first time members of the media were invited to speak and had an entire discussion theme devoted to their concerns. It was not surprising that this Congress was later entitled “The Congress of Unity” as the event was a testimony to the good relationship among the various constituents of the Olympic Family.
21st century
In 2005, the IOC President
Jacques RoggeJacques Rogge, Count Rogge is a Belgian sports functionary. He is the eighth and current president of the International Olympic Committee .-Biography:...
called for the
13th Olympic CongressThe 13th Olympic Congress is scheduled to be held on October 3–5, 2009 in Copenhagen, Denmark, by the International Olympic Committee . The city of Copenhagen was chosen in February 8 by the 118th IOC Session held in Turin, Italy to stage the 13th Olympic Congress, together with the meetings of...
to be scheduled for 2009. On 8 February 2006,
CopenhagenCopenhagen ; ) is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban area with a population of 1,167,569 and a metropolitan area with a population of 1,875,179...
, Denmark was chosen as the host of the 13th Olympic Congress defeating
CairoCairo is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab World. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a center of the region's political and cultural life...
, Egypt by 59 votes to 40. With this result, no Olympic Congress has ever taken place outside of Europe.
The nine original candidate cities were: Athens (Greece), Busan (South Korea), Cairo (Egypt), Copenhagen (Denmark), Lausanne (Switzerland), Mexico City (Mexico), Riga (Latvia), Taipei (Taiwan) and Singapore. Athens was eliminated in the first round of voting and Riga in the second. Singapore lost a tie-breaker with Taipei in round three. Taipei was eliminated in the following round and Busan in the fifth round. Mexico City dropped out of the running in January 2006, followed by Lausanne a few days before the vote.
The 13th Olympic Congress was held in Copenhagen, Denmark from 3 to 5 October 2009. The theme for the Congress in 2009 was the "Olympic Movement in Society". The 121st Session of the IOC was also held in Copenhagen on 2 October 2009 where the host city of the 2016 Summer Olympics was announced to be Rio de Janeiro (Brazil).
The participants for the 13th Olympic Congress will include IOC members, honorary and honor members; representatives of the International Federations, National Olympic Committees and organising committees of the Olympic Games; athletes and athlete support staff (coaches, doctors and medical staff); referees, judges and technical officials; the IOC’s Olympic partners; and the media. The recommendations from the 13th Olympic Congress will be forwarded to the 122nd IOC Session in Vancouver, Canada for adoption.
Preparations for the 13th Olympic Congress in Copenhagen got underway in 2007. In Guatemala City on July 2007, the IOC President Jacques Rogge made an official “call for contributions” to all the members of the Olympic Family. He also announced that - for the first time in the history of Olympic Congresses - the general public would be invited to express their opinions on the discussion themes. In order to facilitate this collection of contributions from the Olympic Family and the general public, the IOC launched the
Virtual Olympic Congress.
This website was an important component of the “collection phase” in the preparatory process leading to the 2009 Congress in Copenhagen. The
Virtual Olympic Congress was first opened in October 2007 for contributions from members of the Olympic Family. Throughout 2008, all participants were allowed to submit a written contribution, of a thousand words or less, until the collection phase ended on 31 December 2008. A synthesis of the results will be presented to the Congress for consideration. It is hoped that this initiative will help focus the discussions in Copenhagen.
Themes
|
Year |
City |
Themes |
| I |
1894 |
ParisParis is the capital of France and the country's most populous city. It is situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
|
1) Revival of the Olympic Games 2) Study and principles of amateurism |
| II |
1897 |
Le Havre Le Havre is a city in north-western France situated on the right bank of the mouth of the Seine River as it flows into the Bay of the Seine in the English Channel. It is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Haute-Normandie region. The inhabitants of the city are called Havrais or...
|
Sports hygiene and pedagogy |
| III |
1905 |
BrusselsBrussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the de facto capital city of the European Union and the largest urban area in Belgium...
|
Issues of sport and physical education |
| IV |
1906 |
ParisParis is the capital of France and the country's most populous city. It is situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
|
Incorporation of the fine arts in the Olympic Games and everyday life |
| V |
1913 |
LausanneLausanne is a city in Romandy, the French-speaking part of Switzerland, situated on the shores of Lake Geneva , and facing Évian-les-Bains and with the Jura mountains to its north-west. Lausanne is located some northeast of Geneva. It is the capital of the canton of Vaud and of the district of...
|
Psychology and physiology of sports |
| VI |
1914 |
ParisParis is the capital of France and the country's most populous city. It is situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
|
Unification of Olympic regulations and conditions for participation |
| VII |
1921 |
LausanneLausanne is a city in Romandy, the French-speaking part of Switzerland, situated on the shores of Lake Geneva , and facing Évian-les-Bains and with the Jura mountains to its north-west. Lausanne is located some northeast of Geneva. It is the capital of the canton of Vaud and of the district of...
|
Modification of the Olympic programme and conditions of participation |
| VIII |
1925 |
PraguePrague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Nicknames for Prague have included "the mother of cities" , "city of a hundred spires", or Stověžatá Praha in Czech and "the golden city" or Zlaté město in Czech.Situated on the River Vltava in central Bohemia, Prague has been the...
|
1) Sports pedagogy 2) Olympic regulations |
| IX |
1930 |
BerlinBerlin is the capital city and one of sixteen states of Germany. With a population of 3.4 million within its city limits, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city and the eighth most populous urban area in the European Union...
|
Modification of Olympic regulations |
| X |
1973 |
Varna Varna is the largest city and seaside resort on the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast and in Northern Bulgaria, third-largest in Bulgaria after Sofia and Plovdiv, and 77th-largest in the European Union, with a population of 355,450 .Commonly referred to as the marine capital of Bulgaria, Varna is a...
|
Sport for a world of peace 1) Redefinition of the Olympic Movement and its future 2) Relations between the IOC, International Federations and National Olympic Committees 3) Plans for future Olympic Games |
| XI |
1981 |
Baden-BadenBaden-Baden is a town in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is located on the western foothills of the Black Forest, on the banks of the Oos River, in the region of Karlsruhe.- History :The German word 'Baden' translates as 'to bath/bathe'...
|
United by and for sport 1) The future of the Olympic Games 2) International cooperation 3) The future of the Olympic Movement |
| XII |
1994 |
ParisParis is the capital of France and the country's most populous city. It is situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
|
Centennial Olympic Congress, Congress of Unity 1) The Olympic Movement's contribution to modern society 2) The contemporary athlete 3) Sport in its social context 4) Sport and the mass media |
| XIII |
2009 The 13th Olympic Congress is scheduled to be held on October 3–5, 2009 in Copenhagen, Denmark, by the International Olympic Committee . The city of Copenhagen was chosen in February 8 by the 118th IOC Session held in Turin, Italy to stage the 13th Olympic Congress, together with the meetings of...
|
CopenhagenCopenhagen ; ) is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban area with a population of 1,167,569 and a metropolitan area with a population of 1,875,179...
|
The Role of the Olympic Movement in Society 1) The athletes 2) The Olympic Games 3) The structure of the Olympic Movement 4) Olympism and youth 5) The digital revolution |
External links