ANOC PT PictureWhen I was elected as ANOC President in April 2012, it was my ambition to usher in a new era for ANOC. I pledged to reform, modernise and professionalise our organisation in order to improve the level of service and support we provide for our NOCs. I believe we have made excellent progress in this regard.


In June last year we updated the ANOC Constitution which had remained largely unchanged since its creation in 1979. One of the key changes we made was to insist on the meeting of an Ordinary General Assembly once a year. I wanted to ensure that ANOC is as open and transparent as possible, so it was important that, as the supreme governing body of the Association, the General Assembly convened regularly. In 2010 we moved our headquarters from Paris to Lausanne and we are currently in the process of establishing a new headquarters in the Olympic capital which when finished in the summer of this year will provide a modern and professional base from which to serve and host NOCs.

But while we have shown that ANOC is an organisation which delivers on its promises, we recognise that there is room for improvement. As we strive to provide the highest level of support to all 204 NOCs there will always be ways in which we can refine the service we provide.  Hosting three Executive Council meetings this year will ensure that the experience of the NOCs and their athletes remains at the forefront of ANOC's agenda. Self-examination will be vital to our development.

ANOC Extraordinary General Assembly Lausanne 2013The ANOC Extraordinary General Assembly held in Lausanne in May 2013
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2014 will be a critical year for ANOC. At the end of last year we established nine Commissions and Working Groups who will meet three times this year and report their conclusions at the General Assembly in Bangkok in November.  The Commissions and Working Groups will provide an opportunity for experts in their fields to identify the pressing issues facing NOCs and produce solutions. But more than that, they will take the decisive actions that are required to make real progress.

We will continue to develop our relationships with key organisations in the Olympic Movement in 2014. Our historic agreement with SportAccord will provide a platform to build and improve cooperation between NOCs and IFs for the advancement of the Olympic Movement. We will work closely with SportAccord to develop our collaborative project, the Beach Games. The Beach Games will open a dialogue with the IFs and generate additional broadcasting and commercial revenues for reinvestment into the NOCs.

Asian Beach GamesANOC will work closely with SportAccord to develop their collaborative project, the World Beach Games ©AFP/Getty Images



The year will draw to a close with a General Assembly in November in Bangkok, Thailand, which will include the elections of the President, Vice-President and other members of the Executive Council. I hope that my colleagues will recognise the progress that we have made so far and put their trust in me to serve them for the next four years.

The General Assembly will also feature the first-ever ANOC Gala Awards Ceremony which will give ANOC the chance to commend and celebrate the achievements of NOCs, athletes, coaches and others over the course of the year and promote best practice.

As we saw during the 126th IOC Session in Sochi, 2014 will also be a year of evolution and collaboration for the IOC as it looks to its members to establish the best path for reform. There is a great feeling of fresh momentum in the Olympic Movement since the election of Thomas Bach as IOC President in September last year. We have been delighted with President Bach's leadership so far and his desire to embrace reform and modernisation. President Bach led a brave and highly productive IOC Session in Sochi. The members felt empowered to speak out and put it all on the table: the vast majority of my colleagues were able to make interventions and it was a highly illuminating and productive series of debates.

126th IOC Session SochiANOC President Sheikh Ahmad said he is impressed with IOC President Thomas Bach's leadership so far and his desire to embrace reform and modernisation ©AFP/Getty Images

From an ANOC perspective, this analysis is really important for understanding how we can improve the experience of NOCs and their athletes for the entire Olympiad. After our excellent discussions in Sochi I am confident that the NOC family is totally aligned with the objectives and priorities of President Bach and the IOC. The NOCs of the world are united in our support of Olympic Agenda 2020, and in fact they will be making a vital contribution to its development. After the Sochi 2014 Winter Games, we will be collecting the feedback from the NOCs of the world on all the topics raised at the 126th IOC Session. And by harnessing the huge collective power, experience and insight of the world's NOCs, I firmly believe that ANOC can make a vital contribution to the long-term health and sustainability of the Olympic Movement, under the leadership of the IOC.

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