Ban Ki-moon delivers Ethics Commission report to the IOC Session

In his report to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Session taking place in Lausanne, Switzerland, during the Winter Youth Olympic Games, the Chair of the IOC Ethics Commission and former United Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, focused on three specific points.

First, he indicated that the mechanism of preventive disclosure of interests will be extended to the full IOC membership as a new implementation of the Rules Concerning Conflicts of Interests. This decision by the Ethics Commission followed a thorough analysis of the Rules adopted in 2002 and of the mechanisms in place in other organisations. In order to comply with the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), IOC Executive Board Members and IOC directors have been required to disclose their interests since 2015.

Second, in order to reaffirm the leading role of the IOC Ethics Commission and its efficiency in dealing with potential breaches of the ethical principles of the Olympic Movement by IOC Members holding positions in other sports organisations, specific and appropriate mechanisms will be put in place between the IOC Ethics Commission and the ethics commissions of other sports organisations.

Finally, the IOC Ethics Commission Chair informed the Session that the Ethics and Compliance Office has been reinforced with the integration of a newly created Compliance, Risk Management and Internal Control Unit, which is aimed at strengthening the efficiency of the ethical mechanisms for the IOC administration.

“A culture of ethics is key to the success of any organisation, including the IOC,” said Ban. “We all agree that sport is a unique vehicle for peace; but it can be efficient only if it has credibility,” he stressed.

The IOC Session elected Mrs Amina Mohamed (Kenya) as a new member of the IOC Ethics Commission. Cabinet Secretary of the Ministry of Sports, Culture and Heritage in Kenya since 2018, Mrs Mohamed was elected as an independent member in her capacity as a personality and non-IOC Member.