SOME IMPORTANT OLYMPIC CHARTER AMENDMENTS

In an increasingly political and complex world, including the world of sport, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has recently passed some important amendments to the Olympic Charter regarding political neutrality.

These amendments are intended to strengthen the strict non-political and comprehensive neutrality of the Olympic Movement.

Paragraph 5 of the Fundamental Principles of Olympism and Rule 2 (IOC Mission and Role) of the Olympic Charter now require that the Olympic Movement must maintain neutrality “at all times, free from governmental, cultural, societal, or economic pressure”.

According to the IOC, the main intention is to insulate athletes and international competitions from external exploitation by:

• stopping external parties from using the Olympic Games or individual athletic achievements as vehicles for political messaging or leverage; and
• requiring all constituent sports organisations within the Olympic Movement to enforce continuous neutrality, thereby reducing the risk of localised political interference.

Additionally, the IOC has amended Rule 45 to change how sports are managed.

By removing the fixed list of International Federations from the Charter and changing to an evaluation, which is based upon individual disciplines rather than entire sports, with effect from the 2032 Brisbane Olympic Games, facilitates more flexibility, by allowing the IOC to sanction specific disciplines or governing factions that violate neutrality rather than banning an entire sport.

The updated version of the Olympic Charter came into force on 24 June 2026.

We advise on sports governance matters at the national and international levels and further information is available, respectively, from our Managing Partner, Dr Lucien Valloni, and our International Sports Law Consultant, Prof Dr Ian Blackshaw, by emailing them at valloni@valloni.ch and blackshaw@valloni.ch.