Primo Nebiolo
addresses IOC 2000
1 June 1999 - ASOIF and IAAF President Dr Primo Nebiolo today addressed the
opening session of the executive committee set up to oversee and recommend the
reform of the International Olympic Committee: IOC 2000 Commission.
Composed of 13 high ranking members of the IOC and 13 non-members*, the Executive Committee will provide the guidelines and recommendations destined to lead the IOC into the new millennium and eradicate certain failings in the organisation, which have been the subject of so much speculation in the past.
The address of Dr Primo Nebiolo to the plenary sesssion of the IOC 2000 Commission
"Dear Mr. President, Distinguished Guests, Dear Colleagues and Friends
Today, the Olympic Movement – together with the assistance from some very illustrious friends – has the opportunity to embark on an important, new direction.
And while we must not forget or overlook certain mistakes which caused the profound ethical crisis of the past eight months, I believe now is the time to look forward positively and to work constructively for a more open, more fair and more secure future for the Olympic Games.
On behalf of the International Federations governing the 28 sports in the Summer Games, I am proud and honored to address this distinguished gathering and to offer a perspective from the organizations charged with running sport in the world on a daily basis.
In fact, I think it is important to recall – especially for those of you who may be a little less familiar with our Olympic world – that the International Federations are the unique organizations that govern the every-day activity of the sports on the Olympic Program. Many of the more transparent and open processes and procedures we will discuss in the next few days are already in place in the Federations. In addition to selecting, preparing and organizing worldwide programs of competitions, the Federations concern themselves with the promotion and development of their sports on all levels.
This is a profound responsibility, which we take seriously and which should not and cannot be handed over to some outside institutions. At the end of the day, we must not forget that the Olympic Games are, above all, a celebration of sporting excellence and without the indispensable work of the Federations in preparing the sports, the Games would be at great risk.
As the Games have successfully grown so rapidly over the last fifteen years, there has been a lot of rhetoric about the role the Federations have played in this success. But in all fairness to the various components of the Olympic Movement and in view of the Federations’ undeniable responsibility and contribution, my colleagues and I believe that now is the time for us to be more involved, for the better future of the IOC and the Olympic Games.
At the same time, it is important to underline that we are not just here to push for power or to ask for a bigger piece of the pie. We are here because we believe to be equal partners in this Movement and thus hope to be treated as such. We do not just want to demonstrate our solidarity in words, but also and above all in a concrete contribution to the leadership and security of this Movement.
Yesterday, the Council of the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations met here in Lausanne and unanimously agreed to fully support this Commission’s work in a positive, constructive and co-operative manner. We made every effort to take a more global view of the issues, rather than making detailed proposals. Our recommendations have been forwarded to coordinators of the working groups and we sincerely hope these ideas will be taken into serious consideration.
The essence and hope of our recommendations is that the Federations – and the other important pillars of the Olympic Movement, the National Olympic Committees and now the athletes – may be more fully integrated into the decision-making process. Whatever the results of these meetings, we feel it is only fair and right that any new structure must involve all members of the Olympic Movement, and in particular all the International Olympic Federations.
I have often been reproached by some for advocating too strongly the position of the Federations. But today, the Federations can hold their heads high for what they have achieved. We started on the outside and were criticized for persistently asking and positioning for a greater voice. Little by little, we were brought inside. And now, I submit to you, my dear friends, it is time to fully involve all 35 Summer and Winter Olympic Federations into the heart of the IOC.
We believe that, for the future of the Olympic Games, such consensus-building and constructive involvement is vital, also in order to avoid many potential threats by those who may have a different political or commercial agenda.
In fact, Olympic sports are all facing a more commercially driven, more competitive and generally more challenging world. The standards we all applied just a few years ago are changing rapidly and we must be able to adapt and to move with those new realities.
We need to help each other to safeguard the best interests of our sports as well as the organizations that govern and control them. In order to face the challenges of the new millennium in a practical, modern and open way, all members of the Olympic Movement must be ready to work together as a group, while at the same time each understanding the difficulties of the others.
I believe that in these days we can show the outside world that we are capable of taking a good, hard look at who we are and how we work; and that we are capable of change – real change.
Finally, I would like to thank the International Olympic Committee and its President for their courage in creating this group and calling these meetings. Now, more than ever, the Olympic Movement must remain united and open to exchange views between colleagues and friends.
Thank you for your attention."
* The 26 members of the Executive are, from the IOC: Sheik Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah (KUW), Ottavio Cinquanta (ITA), Anita DeFrantz (USA), Kevan Gosper (AUS), Marc Hodler (SUI), Jean-Claude Killy (FRA), Keba Mbaye (SEN), Primo Nebiolo (ITA), Denis Oswald (SUI), Richard Pound (CAN), Jacques Rogge (BEZL), Pal Schmitt (HUN), Mario Vazquez Rana (MEX).
Non IOC members: Giovanni Agnelli (ITA), Paul Allaire (USA), Oscar Arias Sanchez (CRC), Michel Barnier (FRA), Boutros Boutros-Ghali (EGY), Luis Maria Cazorla (ESP), Manuella Di Centa (ITA), William Hybl (USA), Henry Kissinger (USA), Johann Olav Koss (NOR), Peter Lougheed (CAN), John Macaloon (USA) and Peter Ueberrroth (USA)