Abu Dhabi, UAE, to stage 18th IPC General Assembly in 2017

The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) has announced that Abu Dhabi, the capital city of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), will stage the 18th IPC General Assembly between 7 and 8 September 2017.

Organised by the National Paralympic Committee (NPC) of UAE and held at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre, the 2017 IPC General Assembly will have extra significance as elections for the IPC Governing Board will take place on Friday, 8 September.

During the elections a new President, the third since the IPC was formed in 1989, will be elected. Current IPC President Sir Philip Craven, who has held office since 2001, will step down after serving the maximum number of terms in the role.

Also up for the election will be the position of IPC Vice President and 10 members at large. Nominations for candidates will open in March 2017 with the deadline in June 2017. Exact dates will be communicated later this year.

Ahead of the General Assembly, the IPC Conference will take place on 5 and 6 September at the same venue. In addition, the last meeting of the current Governing Board will be held on 3 and 4 September.

The General Assembly is the supreme authority of the IPC which meets every two years. It last met in November 2015 in Mexico City, Mexico, whilst the last IPC Governing Board elections took place in 2013 when the event was staged in Athens, Greece.

Xavier Gonzalez, IPC Chief Executive Officer, said: “We are delighted that the 18th IPC General Assembly will be held in Abu Dhabi and would like to congratulate NPC UAE for their successful bid.

“Following Rio 2016, the next three Paralympic Games will take place in Asia so it is fitting that our General Assembly will also be held on the continent.

“With elections taking place and the guarantee of a new President, the stakes and interest levels will be extremely high. It is most likely that the 18th General Assembly will be the most well attended in the history of the IPC.”

Theban Almheiri, Secretary General of NPC UAE, said: “I am delighted to invite the large Paralympic Family to Abu Dhabi city. I wish them a pleasant stay in the capital of the United Arab Emirates, and I am looking forward to a memorable and very successful General Assembly next year.”

More than 400 attendees from the IPC’s 201 members made up of National Paralympic Committees, International Federations, Regional Organisations and International Organisations of Sport for the Disabled are expected to attend.

In addition to the IPC General Assembly and Conference, the Paralympic Sport and Media Awards, in partnership with Allianz, will take place in Abu Dhabi on Thursday, 7 September. The 2017 awards will recognise and honour the performances of athletes, teams, officials and the media from the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games. The BP Courage Award will also be presented and a number of individuals will be recognised with the prestigious Paralympic Order.