The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) seeking host city for 2021 General Assembly

The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) has confirmed that its next General Assembly will take place in December 2021 and launched a global search to find a suitable host city.

Taking place between 11-12 December 2021, the IPC General Assembly will bring together up to 500 people representing National Paralympic Committees, International Federations, International Organisations of Sport for the Disabled and Regional Organisations.

As the supreme decision-making body of the IPC, members attending the 2021 General Assembly will elect a new IPC Governing Board, be asked to approve a new IPC constitution, and discuss and sign-off various other policies and procedures that will have an impact on the future direction of the Paralympic Movement.

In addition to the elections for the roles of IPC President, Vice President and 10 Board Members, a series of other activities will also take place in the chosen host city ahead of the 2021 General Assembly. The 2021 Para Sport Awards will be held, as will a two-day long Membership Information Conference (9-10 December). The IPC Governing Board will also meet between 7-8 December.

Mike Peters, IPC Chief Executive Officer, said: “The 2021 IPC General Assembly will have extra significance as it will not only involve all important Governing Board elections but approval for a new IPC constitution will be sought following two years of consultation with IPC members on the IPC’s governance structures and practices.

“With elections taking place and around 500 people set to attend, interest in the General Assembly is expected to be high while the economic impact of seven days of meetings and side events will be significant.

“We are optimistic that, despite the pandemic, the meeting will be held in person at roughly the halfway point between the Tokyo 2020 and Beijing 2022 Paralympic Games. We look forward to seeing the interest from potential host cities over the coming months.”

The last IPC General Assembly was held in 2019 in Bonn, Germany, the IPC’s home city for the last 21 years. The last elections took place in Abu Dhabi, UAE, in 2017 with Brazilian Andrew Parsons elected only the IPC’s third ever President.

The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) is the global governing body of the Paralympic Movement. It co-ordinates the organisation of the Summer and Winter Paralympic Games, and serves as the International Federation for 10 sports, for which it supervises and co-ordinates the World Championships and other competitions. The IPC’s vision is to enable Para athletes to achieve sporting excellence and inspire and excite the world.