IOC Ethics Commission adopts rules of procedure
The International Olympic Committee’s independent Ethics Commission met today at the IOC headquarters in Lausanne. There were three main points on the agenda.
Study and Adoption of the Rules of Procedure
The Rules of Procedure set out how the Ethics Commission proceeds in the case of a complaint or denunciation submitted to it and that falls within its jurisdiction. Under the terms of the rules, the Commission may appoint a rapporteur to study the case at issue and may also call on the assistance of experts whom it appoints. After this examination, the commission will decide either to drop the case or propose the recommendation it deems appropriate to the IOC Executive Board, particularly in application of the new rule 25 of the Olympic Charter.
Under these Rules, the commission also may receive requests for an opinion from Olympic parties to guard against any conduct which might contravene the provisions of the Code of Ethics recently adopted by the IOC Session in Seoul. The deliberations and details of voting by the Ethics Commission are, and remain, confidential.
Implementation of the Commission’s Powers
As well as its role in examining cases involving misconduct, the Ethics Commission also acts in a preventive capacity, ensuring the ethical principles and rules are applied. To examine how best to implement these powers, the Ethics Commission has called a meeting with representatives of the IOC Executive Board and experts on ethics rules to decide on the methods and procedures it will have to adopt in the future. This meeting will take place in Lausanne on 28th October.
Cases Submitted to the Ethics Commission after the Executive Board Meeting in Seoul
The Executive Board had referred two cases involving IOC members to the Ethics Commission. For one case, the commission decided that, in the absence of specific fault on the part of the person concerned, it would not investigate any further. For the second case, it has requested additional information from the body which made the denunciation. The IOC President has submitted to the Ethics Commission the report by the firm King & Spalding relating to events purported to have taken place during Atlanta’s bid to host the 1996 Olympic Games and which involve abuses. In application of its newly adopted Rules of Procedure, the Ethics Commission will study the different cases in accordance with these rules.