The International Olympic Committee (IOC) on Sunday amended the Olympic Charter to strengthen its human rights commitments during the first day of its 141st session here.

The IOC session approved the inclusion of additional wordings relating to the respect of human rights after the executive board made a recommendation to this effect in September this year.

“Additional wording has been included in the Fundamental Principles of Olympism as an overarching commitment to the respect for human rights, specifically in Fundamental Principles of Olympism 1 and 4,” the IOC said.

“The change is a result of the work by the Legal Affairs Commission and its consultation with the Advisory Committee on Human Rights,” it added.

The new wordings in Fundamental Principles of Olympism 1 are 'internationally recognised human rights' and 'within the remit of the Olympic movement'.

In the Fundamental Principles of Olympism 4, 'internationally recognised human rights’ and ‘within the remit of the Olympic Movement' were the new wordings approved by the IOC session.

"This is a major step in our commitment to the respect for human rights in the Olympic Movement,” IOC President Thomas Bach said.

“With this change to the Olympic Charter, we are also sending a strong message to our stakeholders. It marks an important milestone in the IOC’s human rights work.”

In other decisions, the International Federation of American Football was granted full recognition by the IOC.

Russia’s IOC members Yelena Isinbayeva and Sharmil Tarpishchev were among those absent at the session on Sunday.

Bach urged to continue

IOC members on Sunday urged the incumbent president Bach to stay on in his role after he completes his 12-year term in 2025.

Bach was elected to an eight-year term at the 125th IOC session in Buenos Aires in 2013. In March 2021, he was re-elected for another four years.