The International Olympic Committee (IOC) Executive Board ruled last month that competitors from Russia and Belarus should be reintroduced to the global sporting stage as individual neutral athletes as long as they follow its strict criteria.

Under the IOC's conditions, only those that have not publicly spoken out in support of the war in Ukraine and are not associated with Russian and Belarusian militaries or national security agencies should be considered for readmission.

The International Shooting Sport Federation became the latest Olympic governing body to adhere to the recommendations, saying it was working with the IOC and ASOIF on drafting eligibility rules for athletes from Russia and Belarus to return.

Speaking to French newspaper L’Equipe, Ricci Bitti revealed that work was ongoing to implement the conditions recommended by the IOC Executive Board.

"The athletes will have a declaration to sign," said Ricci Bitti.

"But they will not be asked to say that they are against the war because that becomes a criminal matter in Russia.

"We are in the process of developing, with legal assistance, a model declaration.

"Formula 1 drivers already do that.

"Federations like swimming are already ahead and we will try to harmonize all that, but it is not easy.

"There is another delicate subject, it is the control [of the conformity of the athletes compared to the criteria].

"We are studying the possibility of entrusting this task to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

"But it's not official yet."

Ricci Bitti was speaking in Strasburg after attending the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe at the Palais de I’Europe on Tuesday (April 25).

The public hearing saw Ricci join the likes of French Sports Minister Amélie Oudéa-Castéra, Ukraine’s Deputy Sports Minister Andriy Chesnokov and British Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer in discussing whether to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to take part in next year's OIympics in Paris.

Frazer insisted that the IOC must "clarify their position or go back to the drawing board" after claiming that there were still "far too many unanswered questions".

Chesnokov reiterated Ukraine’s opposition to the participation of Russia and Belarus, while Oudéa-Castéra said that "we cannot disregard the UN principles of non-discrimination of persons on the grounds of their passport".

In February, a group of Belarusian athletes opposing the authoritarian regime of Alexander Lukashenko called on the IOC to introduce an "Anti-War Declaration" to determine those who can compete internationally.

They described the IOC's criteria for the participation of Russian and Belarusian neutrals as "insufficient", and expressed "disbelief at the possibility of fulfilment of the criteria by Russian and Belarusian pro-regime athletes".

Archery, fencing, modern pentathlon, skateboarding, shooting, table tennis, taekwondo, triathlon and wrestling have opted to allow athletes from Russia and Belarus to return as neutrals, while athletics, badminton, basketball, equestrian, sport climbing and surfing have decided to maintain their bans.