SportAccord to approve new statutes and appoint next President

LAUSANNE, Switzerland – SportAccord is looking ahead to an action-packed week, which will include key decisions to approve the adoption of important new statutes, confirm a new composition of its Executive Committee and appoint the next President of the global sports event organisation.

The SportAccord General Assembly will take place this Sunday, 12 November, on the eve of the three-day IF (International Federation) Forum in Lausanne, with a vote on the approval of new statutes at the top of the agenda.

The new statutes foresee the inclusion of all the IF umbrella bodies in the association’s Executive Committee, three representatives from ASOIF, two from AIOWF, two from ARISF and one from AIMS. The new statutes bring the association into line with best practice corporate governance, clearly defining roles and responsibilities between the Executive Committee, the General Assembly and the secretariat. The statutes will be published on SportAccord’s website once approved, as will the eligibility criteria for Executive Committee members.

The newly constituted Executive Committee is then expected to appoint the next President from among its members the following day. The President and the new Executive Committee members will serve four year terms.

Current SportAccord President Ivo Ferriani, who is also President of the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation (IBSF) and AIOWF, said: “The coming days will mark the beginning of an exciting new chapter for SportAccord and the culmination of two years of hard work to establish a strong governance structure that will benefit SportAccord and its members for years to come.

“As my term comes to an end and I hand over the baton to the next President, it is gratifying to know that a restructured SportAccord is well equipped to navigate future challenges and opportunities whilst providing essential support to the global sports family.

SportAccord will host the IF Forum 2023 next week at the Olympic Museum in Lausanne from 13 to 15 November, with the event set to attract hundreds of leaders, experts and decision-makers from across the global sports movement. Under the theme of ‘Sport (R)evolution’ the IF Forum will cover topics including the use of new technology to build fan engagement and optimise the monetisation of IF assets, the strategies that have succeeded in revolutionising women’s sport, climate action and other topics that are transforming the environment in which IFs work.

Also attending the IF Forum will be a delegation from the host of SportAccord’s next major event, the World Sport & Business Summit, to be held from 7 to 11 April 2024 in Birmingham and the West Midlands, UK.