IOC Shuts Down 12 Permanent Committees in Streamlining and Cost-Cutting Move

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is closing 12 permanent committees covering areas including human rights, gender equality and sustainability, opting instead to establish expert panels when specific issues require attention.

The decision, announced on Friday, is part of a streamlining and cost-cutting initiative that will leave 19 committees in place. IOC President Kirsty Coventry, who is in her second year in the role, has already relied on smaller working groups to address key policy matters.

The IOC said the shift towards temporary expert panels would allow it to focus resources on specific priorities and respond more flexibly to emerging issues.

In a statement, the organisation said the new approach would support “targeted engagement on key strategic priorities and policy development.”

Among the bodies being disbanded is the IOC Commission for Gender Equality, Diversity and Inclusion. The organisation had previously assigned a review of the “protection of the female category” in sport to an expert panel in March rather than to the existing commission.

The membership of that panel was kept confidential, distinguishing it from the IOC’s usual commission structure.

The IOC Advisory Committee on Human Rights will also be closed. It was chaired by Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, a former deputy president of South Africa.

Other committees facing closure include those responsible for sustainability, technology, athletes’ entourage and digital engagement. The changes affect several areas of the organisation’s work, including athlete welfare, governance and the use of technology in sport.

IOC commissions typically comprise between 10 and 30 members, who meet annually in Lausanne, Switzerland, where the organisation is headquartered. The groups bring together representatives and specialists to advise on issues relevant to the Olympic movement.

Under the revised structure, the IOC will be able to assemble experts for particular projects rather than maintain standing bodies that meet on a regular basis.

The changes come as Coventry continues to shape her leadership of the organisation. Her use of smaller working groups for key issues has indicated a preference for more focused consultation on selected policy questions.

The decision to close the gender equality and human rights bodies is likely to draw attention because these areas have been prominent in international debates over sport governance, athlete protection and inclusion.

The IOC has not provided detailed information in the announcement about how every responsibility held by the discontinued committees will be transferred to the new system.

The organisation said the revised structure would preserve its ability to seek specialist advice while allowing engagement to be tailored to individual priorities. The remaining 19 permanent committees will continue operating under the new arrangement.