• ‘Pivotal phase’ is seeking more
targeted IPC Member feedback on key classification issues that emerged from
Phase 1 of the Review and an initial working draft of the Code
• Findings from Phase 1 are now live
on the Paralympic.org
The International Paralympic
Committee (IPC) has today (1 August 2022) begun a five-month long second
consultation phase of the IPC Classification Code Review.
As the Review takes a deep dive into
the key issues that the IPC Membership have identified around classification,
engagement with stakeholders in this next phase is seen as pivotal. Also, as
part of the Phase 2 consultation launch, the Code Drafting Team has presented
an initial working draft of the Code for consideration and feedback.
Classification is the cornerstone of
the Paralympic Movement. It determines which athletes are eligible to compete
in a sport and how athletes are grouped together for competition. This will be
the third iteration of the Classification Code. The first was published in 2007
and the second in 2015.
In January 2021 the IPC Governing
Board approved a review of the 2015 IPC Athlete Classification Code. Two months
later they established a Code Drafting Team and appointed an independent chair,
Scott Field, who competed in Para swimming for South Africa at the Sydney 2000
and Athens 2004 Paralympics.
The Code Drafting Team are
conducting an extensive three-year, three-phase open consultation process. They
have a mandate to solicit feedback from all facets of the IPC Membership,
including athletes, coaches, National Paralympic Committees (NPC), International
Federations (IF) and classifiers.
Their role is to obtain and analyse
stakeholder feedback into the working drafts of the new Code and present these
to the IPC General Assembly, Governing Board and Membership for approval.
The first consultation phase took
place from June to September 2021 and was wide-ranging as it sought feedback on
every section of the current Code. Following several months of extensive
analysis, the Code Drafting Team have now made public the drafts of a new Code
and International Standards. These can be found here, alongside the rationale
for changes and the collated Phase 1 feedback.
The next, second phase, which extends
from 1 August to 15 December 2022, is seen as a critical moment in the Code
Review. There will be targeted questions around key issues that have emerged
from Phase 1. The dedicated Phase 2 feedback form can also be found on the
above Code Review webpage. Furthermore, as stakeholder feedback is paramount,
the Code Drafting Team are engaging widely and have made providing feedback
easier and more accessible.
Field urged Members to take an active
part in the process: “Without doubt this is the most important conversation the
Paralympic Movement has had on classification. When the last Code was drawn up
in 2015 it was by a standing committee, but this time the IPC Governing Board
has been very clear that the entire Movement should be heard.
“This second phase in the
Classification Code Review is pivotal. The first phase identified the key
issues that the Membership wanted to address. Now as we zero in on these topics
it is more important than ever to get input and hear from every facet of the
Paralympic Movement. If you have an opinion on classification, now is the time
to tell us.”
IPC Members are being offered
numerous opportunities to engage in Phase 2 of the consultation:
The Code Drafting Team have secured
multiple call options for every Membership group: IF heads of classification
and NPC classification leads, IF Classifiers, IF and NPC athlete representatives,
NPCs, the IFs, the regional organisations and the International Organisations
of Sport for the Disabled.
The Annual IF and NPC Classification
Meeting (15–17 September), and the Membership Gathering (TBC November).
There is also the option for Members,
as well as any other persons or organisations with an opinion on the
Classification Code, to provide written feedback. A fillable PDF feedback form
asks numerous targeted questions regarding the draft Code and provides room for
feedback on any section of the Code.
A third and final consultation phase
is scheduled to take place from July to October 2023, prior to the IPC General
Assembly voting on the new Code and International Standards in December 2023.
It is anticipated that the new IPC Classification Code will be published in
2024.
The implementation of the new IPC
Athlete Classification Code is envisaged to be in January 2025 for summer
sports and July 2026 for winter sports. The current 2015 IPC Athlete
Classification Code and accompanying International Standards remain in place and
fully effective until the new Code’s implementation date.
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