On September 8, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) celebrated its 20th anniversary and commemorated the tenth anniversary of its headquarters in Bonn, Germany.
The celebration of these two milestones for the IPC took place at the World Conference Centre in Bonn, with official speeches by German Federal Minister of the Interior Dr. Wolfgang Schaeuble, MdB;Special Advisor to the UN Secretary General on Sport for Development and Peace Wilfried Lemke; International Olympic Committee (IOC) Vice President Dr. Thomas Bach; HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco; mayor of Bonn Baerbel Dieckmann; and IPC President Sir Philip Craven.
More than 350 guests, including personalities from the worlds of sport, economics, and politics took part in the celebration.
Craven said that the gathering reflects positively on the countless achievements over the last two decades. “I am very happy to see so many familiar faces here today. This is a chance to recognize the growth of both the organization and the Paralympic Movement,” he said. “Whether we look to the development of the Paralympic Games or Paralympic sport in general, the global audience has become more aware about athletes with a disability. This has always been our aim and will continue to inspire us further.”
The day included panel discussions on themes such as “The Paralympic Movement-A History of Change,” “The Paralympic Games-From Challenger to Frontrunner,” and “Paralympic Sport-A Catalyst for the Implementation of the UN Convention on Rights for Persons with a Disability.” Panelists included Deputy Secretary General of the National Paralympic Committee of China Guozhong Zhang, President and CEO of the Sochi 2014 Organizing Committee Dmitry Chernyshenko, former IPC President Robert D. Steadward, and former IPC Athletes’ Council Chairperson Ljiljana Ljubisic. Chairman of the London 2012 Organizing Committee Lord Sebastian Coe led the discussion titled, “The London 2012 Paralympic Games Approach.” Those taking part in the discussion included Craven, IOC Olympic Games Executive Director Gilbert Felli, Head of ABC TV Sport and Events Justin Holdforth, Chief Marketing Officer of Otto Bock Healthcare Helmut Pfuhl, and British Paralympian Danielle Brown. They discussed the future of the Paralympic Movement and debated its challenges and opportunities.
The opening speeches as well as the panel discussions were recorded and are now available to view on the IPC’s Internet TV channel www.paralympicsport.tv
