INTRODUCTION TO ANOC

The Association of the National Olympic Committees (ANOC) was created during the Constitutive General Assembly held on June 26-27, 1979 in San Juan, Puerto Rico, convened as the IX General Assembly of the National Olympic Committees (NOCs) and chaired by Mr Mario Vázquez Raña. The first "General Assembly of the NOCs" had taken place in Rome on September 30, October 1^st -2^nd, 1965.

ANOC affiliates the NOCs recognized by the International Olympic Committee. There are 205 NOCs to date. The NOCs belong to one of the following five Continental Associations :

- Africa : Association of the National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA)
- America : Pan American Sports Organization (PASO)
- Asia : Olympic Council of Asia (OCA)
- Europe : European Olympic Committees (EOC)
- Oceania : Oceania National Olympic Committees (ONOC)


Mission of the Association of National Olympic Committees

« To deal with all matters of general interest for the NOCs, … to recognize and support the associations of NOCs recognized by the IOC, … to make recommendations aimed at the development of the NOCs and to implement their motions in connection with the national and international Olympic Movement, …to collaborate, in agreement with the Olympic Charter, with the IOC, with the IFs, with the NOCs, with the OCOGs and, in general, with other organizations and institutions interested in sports and in Physical and Olympic Education. » (Article 2.2. of the Constitution of ANOC).


ANOC fulfils this mission by formulating recommendations and suggestions to be dealt with by the IOC Executive Board, the IOC-IFs-NOCs Tripartite Commissions, other IOC-NOCs Mixed Commissions, the Olympic Congresses, or any other organization promoting sport.
Among other issues, ANOC proposals deal with :

• Safeguarding the Olympic Games' universal character, while taking the measures necessary to preserve the highest level of competition.
• The Olympic Program, seeing to its stability, without precluding changes in order to reflect in due time the development of sports worldwide and in the various regions of the world.
• The conditions of participation for athletes at the Olympic Games and their ceremonies.
• Athletes' accommodation at the Olympic Village.
• Number, working conditions and accommodation of the staff looking after the athletes at the Olympic Games (officials, coaches, physicians).
• Clothing equipment of an Olympic delegation (uniforms, sports clothing, shirts).

ANOC provides support to underprivileged countries through the Olympic Solidarity programmes, Olympic Solidarity being the organization which manages ANOC's funds.

Scholarships for athletes and coaches, technical courses, and courses for sport administrators all have the common objective of reducing the gap of unequal development among the NOCs and offering opportunities of development for the huge athletic potential existing in developing countries.

ANOC and the NOCs contribute to the dissemination of the Olympic ideal through the National Olympic Academies and their representatives at the sessions of the International Olympic Academy.

ANOC and the NOCs contribute to developing Sport For All by patronizing, or organizing national events and participating in the international Sport for All Congresses.


Structure of the Association of National Olympic Committees

The General assembly of ANOC is the highest authority of the Association and meets every two years. Each Assembly is followed by a joint meeting with the IOC Executive Board.

In-between, ANOC is administered by its Executive Council, composed of :

- the President of ANOC, elected by the General Assembly.
- the Secretary General of ANOC and the Treasurer of ANOC, elected by the General Assembly upon the President's proposal.
- 5 continental ANOC Vice-Presidents, nominated by the five Continental Associations and whose nominations are approved by the ANOC General Assembly.
- 14 ANOC Executive Council members, namely three members per continent for Africa, America, Asia and Europe, and two members for Oceania, nominated by their Continental Associations and whose nominations are approved by the ANOC General Assembly.
- 5 ANOC Executive Council members, namely one per continent, nominated by the President of ANOC in consultation with the corresponding continental Vice-Presidents.
ANOC's Executive Council is therefore currently made up of twenty-seven office bearers.


ANOC has nine permanent Commissions and a Working Group.

It currently has representatives on twelve Commissions and one Working Group of the IOC, as well as on the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) and the International Council of Arbitration for Sport (ICAS), and the World Anti Doping Agency (WADA).

The President nominates the Chancellor of ANOC, in charge of protocol matters.

ANOC's headquarters are in Paris, France, in agreement with the decision reached through a vote of the II^nd ANOC General Assembly held on July 30 – August 1^st, 1981 in Milan, Italy.