The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) has celebrated its 20-year anniversary in Bonn, Germany, which has been the home of the IPC headquarters for a decade.
A special ceremony at the World Conference Centre in Bonn featured sports personalities as well as personalities from the world of economics and politics.
Official welcome speeches were delivered by IPC President Philip Craven, who is also an IOC member; IOC Vice-President Thomas Bach; his IOC colleague, Prince Albert II of Monaco; and Special Advisor to the UN Secretary General on Sport for Development and Peace, Wilfried Lemke; as well as other international dignitaries.
IOC and IPC: a close partnership
Speaking on behalf of IOC President Jacques Rogge, Thomas Bach recalled that “since 2001, an agreement has been in place aimed at securing and protecting the organisation of the Paralympic Games. From 2008 onwards, the Paralympic Games will always take place shortly after the Olympic Games, using the same sports venues and facilities. The IPC has a representative on the IOC Athletes’ Commission and also on the Evaluation and Coordination commissions for the Games.”
“Today, the Paralympic Games clearly emphasise the participants’ athletic achievements, not their disability, and the Beijing Paralympic Games were a perfect illustration of this, with great performances by inspiring athletes. We all now look forward to the same great moments for the next editions in Vancouver 2010, London 2012 and Sochi 2014,” Thomas Bach added.
Working on next Paralympic Games
Chairman of the London 2012 Organising Committee Lord Sebastian Coe led the second round of discussion with the topic entitled “The London 2012 Paralympic Games Approach”. President and CEO of the Sochi 2014 Organising Committee Dmitry Chernyshenko contributed in the panel discussions on themes such as “The Paralympic Movement – A History of Change” and “The Paralympic Games – From Challenger to Frontrunner”. IOC Olympic Games Executive Director Gilbert Felli, IPC President Philip Craven, British Paralympian Danielle Brown and others also took part in the discussion in which the future of the Paralympic Movement was discussed with an emphasis on its challenges and opportunities.
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