Prince Feisal appointed chair of IOC Working Group

AMMAN — HRH Prince Feisal, member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Executive Board and president of the Jordan Olympic Committee, has been appointed as the chair of a new IOC Working Group focused on coordinating safety in the Olympic Movement.

IOC President Thomas Bach announced the formation of the Working Group at a conference on Friday in Lausanne, Switzerland, with all 36 international federations in attendance, as well as the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations and the Association of International Olympic Winter Sports Federations, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

The group will consider the best approach to establishing independent safeguarding systems and structures at the national level, ensuring that resources are directed to where they are most needed to support athletes and increase other sports organisations’ capacity for ensuring safety.

Bach told the press conference that the IOC allocated $10 million to enhance sports safety at the Olympics.

Prince Feisal was appointed to head the group following the significant progress made under his guidance in this area over many years and in recognition of his leadership in the field. 

In his capacity as chair of the IOC Prevention of Harassment and Abuse in Sport Working Group, Prince Feisal oversaw the IOC’s assessment in October 2022 with all international federations in the Summer and Winter Olympics to determine the current status of safeguarding and to identify key challenges.

Prince Feisal said: "I am honoured to have been given the opportunity to lead the IOC’s new Working Group on safeguarding by President Bach and the IOC Executive Board. I look forward to working alongside representatives from both IFs and National Olympic Committees as we focus on implementing consistent safeguarding measures across all sports, at all levels."

"This is a critically important programme that I am very passionate about, and to see all the IFs respond to the IOC’s assessment last October shows how seriously Olympic stakeholders are taking it. This is validation for the work that has already been done in the fight for safe sport, but we are committed to doing more. This Working Group will play a key role in helping safeguard the increasing numbers of vulnerable athletes around the world,” the prince added.

"We all have a responsibility to ensure that everyone has access to safe, inclusive and accessible sporting environments," Prince Feisal added.