New IOC commissions see sharp increase in women members

BERLIN (Reuters) - The International Olympic Committee on Sunday released its new commissions lineup that saw no changes at the helm of the key finance and marketing commissions but a sharp rise in women members.

New IOC commissions see sharp increase in women members

(Reuters)





Singaporean Ser Miang Ng, a IOC presidential candidate who was defeated by current president Thomas Bach in 2013, remains head of the finance commission which oversees the organisation's multi-billion dollar revenues.

Japan's Tsunekazu Takeda also stayed on as head of the marketing commission, in charge of sealing deals with the organisation's top sponsors.

A third of all members of the commissions overseeing every part of the IOC's activities are women, a 49 percent increase since Bach took over, he said in a statement.

But still only seven out of the 30 commissions are headed by women.

"These changes are another major step in the implementation of Olympic Agenda 2020, the strategic roadmap for the future of the Olympic Movement," said Bach.

"They demonstrate the close dialogue with our stakeholders and society at large, with whom we started this process nearly two years ago."

Among the changes are the inclusion of a United Nations representative for the first time, a rise in the number of commission members from Africa and Oceania, as well as an increase in the number of chairpersons from the Africa and Asia that now stood at 34 percent.

"The increase of women’s participation and the broader geographical representation will encourage more inclusive decision making,” Bach said.

There were also several new commissions including an Olympic Channel commission, headed by the United States Olympic Committee chief Larry Probst and a Communications commission aimed at "developing strategies to support the promotion of the Olympic values, and the IOC’s vision and mission to a global audience."

The IOC has voted in 40 reforms back in December that were seen as necessary in order for it to adapt to a changing financial, social and media environment.





(Reporting by Karolos Grohmann; editing by Justin Palmer)


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