International Olympic Committee (IOC)
Website: http://www.olympic.org/
Category: Sport
Year of Foundation: 1894
Location of Foundation: Paris, France
Location of Headquarters: Lausanne, Switzerland
Brief Description: The International Olympic Committee describes itself as 'the supreme authority of the Olympic Movement. Acting as a catalyst for collaboration between all parties of the Olympic family, from the National Olympic Committees (NOCs), the International Sports Federations (IFs), the athletes, the Organising Committees for the Olympic Games (OCOGs), to the TOP partners, broadcast partners and United Nations agencies, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) shepherds success through a wide range of programmes and projects. On this basis it ensures the regular celebration of the Olympic Games, supports all affiliated member organisations of the Olympic Movement and strongly encourages, by appropriate means, the promotion of the Olympic values.' (Source: www.olympic.org; accessed 6 April 2010).
Founding Rationales:
According to Pierre de Coubertin's original note defining the aims of the International Olympic Committee, the organization's objectives were '1. to assure the regular celebration of the Games; 2. to make the celebration increasingly perfect, worthy of its glorious past and conforming to the high ideals of its restorers; 3. to initiate or organise all events and in general to take all appropriate measures to direct modern athletics along desirable paths.'
Source: Comité International Olympique, 'Reglements' - reproduced in David Miller, 'The Official History of Olympic Games and the IOC: Athens to Beijing, 1894-2008' (Edinburgh & London: Mainstream Publishing, 2008), p. 33.
Evolution of Membership (National Groups):
Sources: AVI; HIO; YIO; EAIO; www.olympic.org (accessed 6 April 2010).