Discover the latest activities of IPACS!

© IOC - Commonwealth Secretary-General Rt Hon Patricia Scotland KC showing support for the IPACS Sport Governance Benchmark

After an eventful summer, IPACS is preparing for some more action-packed months, with a particular focus on the Annual General Conference taking place in October. Here is a snapshot of recent and upcoming key activities:

IPACS Steering Committee approves creation of new AI Working Group

During its meeting on 2 July, the IPACS Steering Committee approved the creation of a new Working Group for IPACS to explore the potential opportunities and risks of AI when it comes to fighting corruption in sport. This move comes amid the growing relevance of AI and follows the launch of the Olympic AI Agenda earlier this year. IPACS already organised a dedicated workshop during SportAccord in April. In another decision, the Steering Committee approved the proposal of the Good Governance Task Force to work on a Handbook for the easier implementation of the Sport Governance Benchmark and the related recommendations. The meeting also served to kick off the organisation of the upcoming IPACS Annual General Conference.

IPACS joins 11th Commonwealth Sports Ministers Meeting

Just before the Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Games Paris 2024, IPACS took part in the 11th Commonwealth Sports Ministers Meeting held on 24 and 25 July in the French capital.

Discover the outcomes here.

The third edition of the IOC’s good governance webinar series for IOC-recognised sports organisations took place virtually on 24 September and attracted 56 participants. The focus this time was on the implementation of Dimension C (Democracy) of the IPACS Sport Governance Benchmark. The goal was to create a space where the participants could exchange experiences, learn from each other, and cooperate to strengthen their governance levels. The fourth and final edition of the webinar series is scheduled for 11 December and will delve into development and solidarity.

Coming up

IPACS will participate in the second plenary meeting of the EU Network Against Corruption on 3 October, which brings together national authorities, practitioners, civil society, international organisations, EU agencies and the European Commission. This umbrella forum serves to exchange good practices, opportunities, ideas and plans for further work in this important field among all stakeholders in the EU. IPACS was already represented in the first plenary meeting last year.

IPACS will also join the Council of Europe’s 18th Conference of Ministers responsible for Sport, which will be held from 8 to 10 October in Porto, Portugal, with the theme of “Governing and Governance in Sport: Supporting a Fresh Approach to Match its Societal Importance”. IOC President Thomas Bach will deliver a video message and ASOIF Deputy Executive Director James Carr will present the recent activities and achievements of IPACS during a panel session entitled “Good governance: moving the goal post forwards?”.

This year’s IPACS Annual General Conference will take place on 11 October in Rome, Italy. The programme will focus on reviewing the latest progress made by IPACS – especially through its Task Forces; feature discussions on current challenges and possible solutions; see the appointment of the IPACS Chair for the term 2025-2026; include an agreement on the strategic roadmap for 2025-2026; and feature a discussion on the next steps for the partnership. The Conference will bring together officials from governments, sports organisations and inter-governmental organisations, as well as relevant entities from the private sector and academia.

Stay tuned and follow ipacs.sport for regular updates!