During the General Assembly of the International Paralympic Committee in Seoul, they voted not to support the suspension of the National Paralympic Committees of Belarus and Russia. Thus, the aggressor countries were given the opportunity to compete under their flags again.
Points of attention
- This controversial move by the IPC has sparked discussions about the implications of allowing these nations to participate in international Paralympic events amidst ongoing controversies.
- Despite divided opinions and close voting margins, the IPC's resolution marks a significant shift in the status of Belarus and Russia within the organization, raising questions about sports governance and accountability.
What is known about the IPC's cynical decision?
The International Paralympic Committee press service draws attention to the fact that Russia and Belarus were partially suspended at the 2023 IPC General Assembly for violating their constitutional membership obligations.
This decision means that the NPC of Belarus and the NPC of Russia now restore all their rights and privileges of membership in the IPC in accordance with the IPC Constitution, the statement said.
Furthermore, it is stated that the organization is determined to work with these two members involved to organize practical arrangements for this as soon as possible.
What is important to understand is that the IPC member organizations initially voted against the proposal to completely suspend the Russian NPC (111 in favor, 55 against, with 11 abstentions).
They subsequently voted against a proposal to partially suspend the Russian PPC (91–77 with 8 abstentions), meaning that the Russian PPC regained its full membership rights in the IPC.
