General Association of International Sport Federations
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| Formation | 1967 |
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| Type | Sports organization |
| Headquarters | Lausanne, Switzerland |
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Membership
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92 full members and 17 associate members. |
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Official language
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English, French |
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President
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Francesco Ricci Bitti |
| Website | sportaccord.com |
SportAccord is the umbrella organisation for all (Olympic and non-Olympic) international sports federations as well as organisers of multi-sports games and sport-related international associations. SportAccord is an international sport organisation with 92 full members (international sports federations governing specific sports worldwide) and 17 associate members (organisations which conduct activities closely related to the international sports federations).
SportAccord is the umbrella organisation for both Olympic and non-Olympic international sports federations as well as organisers of international sporting events and in this case provide expertise in, for example, anti-doping, integrity, social responsibility.
By establishing multi-sports games that group together similar sports, the SportAccord aims to promote the members and the members visibility.
The SportAccord has developed a definition of sport to determine whether an applicant federation qualifies as an international sports federation.
SportAccord's definition of Sport is the following definition:
SportAccord uses five categories for its member federations' sports, many of which fall into more than one category:
SportAccord operates with two term of membership. First of the international federation can be Full Member or secondary be Associate Member of SportAccord.
The SportAccord is deeply rooted in the sports movement. As early as 1921, international sports federations (IFs) expressed the need for a representative of their common objectives and interests. Under the direction of Paul Rousseau, Secretary General of the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), a permanent bureau of the IFs was established to facilitate the dialogue with the Olympic authorities.
In 1967, 26 international sports federations met in Lausanne and agreed on the need to increase permanent liaisons and the name “General Assembly of International Sports Federations” was adopted. In order to establish a more formalised organisation, the “General Association of International Sports Federations" (GAISF) was formed in 1976 and the headquarters were moved to Monaco two years later.
The new millennium brought important changes to the organisation. Reacting to the increasing pressure on IFs to professionalise and develop, GAISF in collaboration with the Associations of Summer and Winter Olympic International Federations (ASOIF and AIOWF), launched first SportAccord International Convention in 2003. At the time, this new format “by sport for sport” allows IFs and sports business to get together, share knowledge and network.
In March 2009, GAISF was rebranded SportAccord and, in the same year, its offices moved from Monaco to Lausanne, the Olympic Capital. SportAccord officially adopted the mission to UNITE & SUPPORT and developed into a dynamic and active organisation which aims to serve and promote its members. Its ambition is to provide high-quality services and expertise in areas that are of high importance to its members.
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Wikipedia