International Paralympic Committee publishes updated governance review proposal

The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) has published an updated version of its governance review proposal “Remaining Fit for Purpose” following 10 months of consultation with IPC members, Para athletes and stakeholders.

Originally shared with stakeholders at October 2019’s IPC Conference in Bonn, Germany, “Remaining Fit for Purpose” focusses on nine key principles which aim to ensure the IPC remains a world leading sports organisation.

Since publication, the IPC’s Governance Review Working Group, led by IPC Vice President Duane Kale, has conducted extensive stakeholder consultation to gather feedback and update the proposals.
Key changes to the original proposal include:

•       The aspirational date by which all IPC sports will have separated from the IPC has been brough forward to 2026
•       Greater athlete representation on the IPC Governing Board, as well as changes to the composition of the IPC Athletes’ Council to include the addition of up to five appointed members
•       Changes to the Agitos Foundation have been removed from the Revised Proposal as they have already been implemented
•       Proposed changes to the IPC Governing Board’s composition and terms of office have been removed, due to elections being held at the 2021 General Assembly. It is expected that the Board composition, appointment process and terms will be revisited by the new Governing Board in time for further constitution amendments at the 2023 General Assembly. Changes to the roles and responsibilities of the Board, the President and the Vice President remain in the proposal.
•       The criteria for Recognised International Federations (RIFs) have been further clarified together with their rights and obligations.

The updated version of “Remaining Fit for Purpose” also includes a new timeline to seek approval for the majority of proposed changes at the 2021 IPC General Assembly; initially a 2020 Extraordinary IPC General Assembly was planned for this but was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Andrew Parsons, IPC President, said: “I, together with the whole IPC Governing Board, want to lead a world leading sports organisation that delivers on its vision and mission and is committed to excellence in all areas. To achieve this, the IPC must have governance structures that are not just up to date, but ahead of the game and robust enough to allow the organisation to thrive in the ever-changing sporting landscape.

“Since launching the Governance Review in 2018, we have followed two simple objectives: to listen and to learn from key stakeholders in order to ensure the IPC is more membership focussed and athlete centred.

“This Revised Proposal takes on board the feedback received and has been prepared for further consultation over the next three months. Ultimately, we want the majority of these proposals to form a new constitution and regulations that will be voted on at the 2021 IPC General Assembly.”

Duane Kale, IPC Vice President and Chair of Governance Review Working Group, said: “Since the IPC Governance Review exercise was launched, we have always wanted to listen and learn in order to make the IPC the organisation our members want it to be. Our approach has never changed, and I would like to thank all stakeholders for their continued feedback and engagement in this project.

“Following the publication of this second draft of governance review proposals, we will engage in further consultation for the remainder of 2020 in order to gather further feedback. Early next year, we aim to circulate a draft of a new IPC constitution and regulations for discussion before the IPC General Assembly is invited to vote on the proposal by the end of 2021.”

The Revised Proposal is currently available in English and can be viewed at https://www.paralympic.org/publications. French and Spanish versions will be available in due course.

In April 2018, the IPC announced a review of its governance structures for the first time since 2004, establishing a Governance Review Working Group led by IPC Vice President Duane Kale. Since then, there has been extensive consultation with IPC members and key stakeholders, including September 2018’s IPC Membership Gathering and October 2019’s IPC Conference and General Assembly.