At an Extraordinary General Assembly
in Berlin, Germany, on Wednesday (16 November 2022), International Paralympic
Committee (IPC) member organisations voted to suspend the National Paralympic
Committees (NPCs) of Russia and Belarus.
The decision by IPC members to
suspend NPC Russia and NPC Belarus stems from their inability to comply with
their membership obligations under the IPC Constitution. This includes the
obligations to ‘ensure that, in Para sport within the Paralympic Movement, the
spirit of fair play prevails, the safety and health of the athletes are
protected, and fundamental ethical principles are upheld’ and ‘not to do
anything (by act or omission) that is contrary to the purpose or objects of the
IPC and/or that risks bringing the IPC, the Paralympic Movement, or Para sport
into disrepute’.
Andrew Parsons, IPC President, said:
“As a democratic, membership-based organisation, it was important to allow the
General Assembly, as the supreme body of the IPC, to take a decision on this
important matter.
“Before votes were taken on the
respective motions, IPC members had the opportunity to express their views.
This included hearing from the NPCs of Russia and Belarus who, under German Law
which governs our Constitution, had the right to attend, speak, and present
their case to the Extraordinary General Assembly. Ultimately, our membership
has decided to suspend both NPCs with immediate effect, until further notice.
“As IPC President, I want us to live
in a world where sport unites the world in peaceful competition, enabling
athletes to compete against their rivals to the best of their abilities in a
safe and secure environment.
“The situation that the world of
sport faces right now is highly charged and complex. I hope and pray that the
conflict in Ukraine ends as soon as possible, that peace is secured, and that
no more innocent lives are lost or impacted.”
IPC members voted 64-39 in favour of
a motion to suspend NPC Russia (with 16 members abstaining), while 54-45 voted
to suspend NPC Belarus (with 18 abstaining). For a motion to be passed, 50%+1
votes were required.
Due to their suspension, NPC Russia
and NPC Belarus lose all rights and privileges of IPC membership, in accordance
with the IPC Constitution.
Both NPC Russia and NPC Belarus now
have the right to appeal the decision. Should any appeal not be upheld then
only the General Assembly can revoke the suspension. The next IPC General
Assembly is due to take place in the final quarter of 2023 at a venue yet to be
confirmed.
The Extraordinary General Assembly
also approved a motion amending the IPC Constitution to allow the IPC Governing
Board to impose protective measures if there is an extraordinary event that
risks compromising the safety, viability, integrity, and/or fairness of the
Paralympic Games, any other Para sport competition sanctioned or authorised by
the IPC, or any other IPC activities.
Images of the IPC Extraordinary
General Assembly are available to download from this link at https://www.flickr.com/paralympic
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