Bach Follows Up 134th IOC Session With G20 Speech

July 1, 2019

IOC President Thomas Bach addressed leaders of the world today at the G20 Summit in Osaka, Japan, following a momentous 134th Session in Lausanne last week (you can see highlights on iSportconnect TV). “The Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 will be not only the greatest sporting event in the world, they will also be an inspiration for sustainable growth,” he said. “This approach is a perfect reflection of the IOC reforms to make sustainability central to all our activities. We walk the talk.”

Bach asked the political leaders of the world for their support for the IOC’s mission: “We can accomplish this mission only if we stay out of any political dispute. This means we have to be politically neutral. But this is not enough. We depend on your, the world leaders’, support for our mission and our neutrality.”

The participants at the G20 Summit are leaders from 19 countries and the European Union (EU). Additionally, there were leaders of invited guest countries and representatives of invited guest international organisations.

Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee President Yoshiro Mori joined the IOC President in the luncheon room with the G20 leaders.