The toolkit is a key element of the ANOC Athletes' Commission's action plan, aiming to increase communications with NOCs and provide more detailed guidelines on the establishment, governance and membership structures of these Commissions.

ANOC hopes that by making the toolkit readily available to all NOCs on the ANOC website it will facilitate the creation of more NOC Athletes' Commissions ultimately improving the service countries are able to offer their athletes.

The toolkit was finalised ahead of ANOC's General Assembly in Bangkok late last year by the ANOC Athletes' Commission, headed by New Zealand's International Olympic Committee member Barbara Kendall.

The toolkit outlines how to set up a Commission - including agendas, budgets and questionnaire templates - with all documents available to read here.

ANOC Athletes' Commission chair Barbara Kendell played an important role in facilitating the Athletes' Commission toolkit ©Getty Images



An Athletes' Commissions play a vital role in ensuring that the voices of athletes are heard and that their needs are taken into account at every stage of the NOC's decision making processes.

In areas such as Oceania, Kendall's own region, if a National Olympic Committee does not have an Athletes' Commission it will only receive one General Assembly vote instead of two, and a member cannot stand for an Executive Board position.

As a consequence, all 18 NOCs have a Commission in the region, with this viewed as a key reason for the recent success and progress enjoyed by the region, but levels are markedly lower elsewhere.

ANOC will be hoping that the new toolkit will have a similar affect across a wider area with Athletes' Commissions giving competitors from each nation a louder voice within their sporting community.

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]


Related stories
November 2014: Kendall may be "slightly loopy" but she is doing a lot for athletes, women and surfers
November 2014: Nick Butler: ANOC is becoming increasingly significant under Sheikh Ahmad