OCA International Relations Committee receives UNESCO partnership update

OCA International Relations Committee receives UNESCO partnership update

Thimphu, Bhutan, April 4, 2024: HRH Prince Jigyel Ugyen Wanchuck, President of the Bhutan Olympic Committee, chaired an online meeting of the OCA International Relations Committee on Thursday, April 4.

The meeting heard about the activities and events of the OCA and also the partnership between the OCA and UNESCO – United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

The official partnership will see cooperation with UNESCO on relevant programmes and activities and joint efforts to bring peace and security through international cooperation.

The first steps in this partnership are ongoing in Paris this week from April 3-5 with the UNESCO sport section, covering CIGEPS (Inter-governmental Committee for Physical Education and Sport) Ordinary Session, Athletes Game on for Peace, and Policy Roundtable: Towards a safer playing field - tackling violence against women and girls.

Members also heard updates on the 6th Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games in Bangkok and Chonburi province, Thailand this November; the 9th Asian Winter Games in Harbin, China in February 2025; and the 20th Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan in September-October 2026.

Details of the various OCA committee meetings were discussed, along with the 43rd OCA General Assembly in Bangkok on May 11 and the OCA/Olympic Solidarity regional forums in Kuala Lumpur and Bahrain in June.

The OCA’s Deputy Director General, Vinod Kumar Tiwari, outlined the status regarding the reforms to the OCA constitution, with the papers going first to the OCA Rules Committee and then the Executive Board before being put to the General Assembly.

He also said that the OCA was producing standardized pattern of procedures for all the Asian sports federations to follow in relation to their participation in the various OCA multi-sport games.