LAUSANNE: After a lively debate, the IOC (International Olympic Committee) Session on Friday unanimously approved Olympic Agenda 2020+5 as the new strategic roadmap of the IOC and the Olympic Movement through to 2025.
“Consisting of 15 recommendations, the new roadmap builds on the achievements of Olympic Agenda 2020, and will guide the work of the IOC and the Olympic Movement for the next five years,” IOC said in a release.
Introducing the debates, IOC President Thomas Bach explained: “The coronavirus crisis has changed our world in fundamental ways. The world will never again be like it was before. Even once we have finally overcome the health crisis, we will face the far-reaching social, financial, economic and political consequences.”
He continued: “As leaders of the Olympic Movement, we must prepare ourselves for this new world. In order to shape our future, we need a vision of how this new world will look like.”
The 15 recommendations that makeup Olympic Agenda 2020+5 have been developed through an inclusive and collaborative process. They are based on key trends that have been identified through robust research as likely to be decisive in the post-coronavirus world. They are also areas where sport and the values of Olympism can play a key role in turning challenges into opportunities.
The five trends that have been identified are: Solidarity, Digitalisation, Sustainability, Credibility and Economic and financial resilience.
Concluding his introduction, President Bach commented: “Olympic Agenda 2020+5 as our vision for the future of the Olympic Movement addresses these overarching trends. The aim is to build even more solidarity, to harness the positive potential of digitalisation, to be the impactful enabler to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals, to strengthen the credibility of the constituents of the Olympic Movement, and to join forces with other values- or purpose-driven organisations.”
He thanked everyone who had participated, saying: “The 15 recommendations have been developed in a collaborative initiative, involving all stakeholders of the Olympic Movement, but especially with input and feedback from all of you, the IOC Members, in particular through your work and contribution in the different IOC Commissions. Olympic Agenda 2020+5 has been developed by all of us and therefore belongs to the entire Olympic Movement.” (ANI)