·The RPC and NPC Belarus will
participate as neutrals at the Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games
·They will compete under the
Paralympic flag and not be included in the medal table
·IPC to host extraordinary General
Assembly in 2022 to vote on whether to make compliance with the Olympic Truce a
membership requirement and whether to suspend or terminate the membership of
the Russian Paralympic Committee and Belarus Paralympic Committee.
·IPC will not hold any events in
Russia or Belarus until further notice.
The International Paralympic
Committee (IPC) Governing Board met on Wednesday (2 March) to discuss how the
breach of the Olympic Truce by the Russian and Belarus governments is impacting
the Paralympic Games and the wider Paralympic Movement.
The IPC Board expressed its concerns
and sympathies for Ukrainian athletes and citizens alike, and shared its
delight that the full delegation of the Ukrainian Paralympic Team arrived
safely in Beijing earlier today.
The Board was also united in its
condemnation of the governments of Russia and Belarus for breaching the UN
resolution in the week leading up to the opening of the Beijing 2022 Paralympic
Winter Games. The Board was also in agreement that the breach of the Truce
could not go unpunished.
In deciding what action to take, the
Board was guided by the IPC’s core principles, which include a commitment to
political neutrality and impartiality, and an unwavering belief in the
transformative power of sport. These are key components of the new IPC
Constitution that was approved at the 2021 IPC General Assembly held just over
three months ago.
The Board also needed to work within
the framework of the IPC Handbook, the rules and regulations that govern the Paralympic
Movement, and which are approved by the IPC membership. In that respect, it is
currently not a membership obligation for an IPC member to ensure compliance
with the Olympic Truce.
Within the parameters of the IPC
Handbook, the IPC has taken the strongest possible actions, which are as
follows:
1. The RPC and NPC Belarus will participate
as neutrals at the Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games under the following
conditions:
·All their athletes/support personnel
will participate in an individual capacity as neutral athletes/support
personnel
·They will compete under the
Paralympic flag and the Paralympic anthem
·They will not be included in the
medals table
·The RPC delegation must cover the
RPC symbol on their uniforms in all official ceremonies and sporting
competitions
·The Belarus delegation must cover
the Belarus flags on their uniforms in all official ceremonies and sporting
competitions
2. All technical officials attending
the Games from Russia and Belarus will be listed as neutrals under the
Paralympic flag, as will coaches from the respective countries involved with
other teams.
3. The approach set out at points 1
and 2 above will also be followed in relation to the participation of the RPC
and NPC Belarus in the 10 Para sports governed by the IPC.
4. The IPC Governing Board has also
decided, both in its role as the global guardian of the Paralympic Movement and
as the international federation for 10 Para sports, that it will not hold any
events in Russia or Belarus until further notice. This will include World and
European Championships, as well as all sanctioned-level competitions such as
World Series, World Cups and Grand Prix events. The IPC Governing Board also
recommends that all Para sport international federations, Regional Organisations
and IOSDs follow the same approach.
5.An Extraordinary IPC General
Assembly will be held in 2022. Under the IPC Constitution, six months’ notice
must be given before this event can take place.
At this meeting, IPC members will be invited to vote upon:
a. Whether ensuring compliance with
the Olympic Truce should be a membership requirement (and therefore any IPC
member breaching that requirement in the future could face suspension or
termination under the IPC rules).
b.Whether to suspend or terminate the
membership of the Russian Paralympic Committee and Belarus Paralympic
Committee.
6.The Paralympic Honour bestowed to
Vladimir Putin, President of Russia, has been withdrawn.
7.Paralympic Orders (the highest
accolade that can be presented within the Paralympic Movement) will be
withdrawn from the following individuals:
·Dmitry Chernyshenko, President of
Sochi 2014 Organising Committee (now Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian
Federation)
·Dmitry Kozak, Deputy Prime Minister
of Russia (now Deputy Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office)
·Oleg Syromolotov, Chief of
Interagency Security Command Centre, Sochi 2014 (now Deputy Foreign Minister)
·Alexander Gorovoy, Deputy Chief of
Interagency Security Command Centre, Sochi 2014 (now First Deputy Interior
Minister)
8. Given the time constraints and the
need for the IPC to focus on the delivery of a safe and successful Paralympic
Winter Games under these unprecedented circumstances, the IPC Governing Board
will reconvene after the Games to further discuss this matter and any
additional action that may be required.
Andrew Parsons, IPC President, said:
“The IPC and wider Paralympic Movement is greatly concerned by the gross
violation of the Olympic Truce by the Russian and Belarussian governments in the
days prior to the Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games. The IPC Governing Board
is united in its condemnation of these actions and was in agreement that they
cannot go unnoticed or unaddressed.
“In deciding what actions the IPC
should take, it was fundamental that we worked within the framework of our new
constitution to remain politically neutral and within the IPC Handbook, the
rules and regulations that govern the Paralympic Movement. Such neutrality is
firmly anchored in the genuine belief that sport holds the transformative power
to overcome our shortcomings, and summon from within us the best of our
humanity, especially in the darkest of moments.
“What we have decided upon is the
harshest possible punishment we can hand down within our constitution and the
current IPC rules. Post-Beijing 2022, we will also take measures with our 206
member organisations to determine whether any breaches of the Olympic Truce for
future Paralympic Games could lead to the possible suspension or termination of
an NPC. Our members will also be invited to decide whether we suspend or
terminate the membership of NPC Russia or NPC Belarus.
“It is deeply disappointing that such
action is required. However, the IPC Governing Board believes it to be
necessary in order to hold governments to account for actions that impact
directly on the Paralympic Movement, the Paralympic Games and Paralympic
athletes. This is especially so given the origins of the Paralympic Movement,
arising out of the horrific events of the Second World War.
“Now that this decision has been
made, I expect all participating NPCs to treat the neutral athletes as they
would any other athletes at these Games, no matter how difficult this may be.
Unlike their respective governments, these Paralympic athletes and officials
are not the aggressors, they are here to compete in a sport event like
everybody else.
“The eyes of the world will be
watching the Paralympic Winter Games in the coming days. It is vital we show to
world leaders through our sport that we can unite as human beings and that our
true power is found when promoting peace, understanding and inclusion. This is
at the core of what the Paralympic Movement does and what it stands for. We
should not lose sight of this now, no matter what the circumstances.”
Jitske Visser, IPC Athletes’ Council
Chairperson, said: “It’s disappointing for the athletes and all Games
stakeholders that with 48 hours to go before the Opening Ceremony, the talk is
not of sport, but global politics.
“Since this crisis began, the IPC
Athletes’ Council has been eager to listen to the views of the global Para
athlete community, in-particular the athletes who are competing here in
Beijing.
“At these Games, we will have close
to 650 athletes representing 48 delegations.
What is absolutely clear is that athletes across the globe have varying
views on this matter and it is important that these are all acknowledged and
taken account for.
“In my role as Chairperson of the
IPC’s Athletes’ Council it was my responsibility to summarise all the views of
the athlete community on this situation and present them to the IPC Governing
Board.
“I hope now that a decision has been
made, the focus can now switch back to sport as our hosts and many athletes
have been preparing for this event for several years now. Sport has this
wonderful ability to unite, to send a clear message of inclusion and peace to
the world. Through athletes competing to their best of their abilities, we can
help achieve this.”
The Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter
Games open 4 March and close on 13 March.
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