The Executive Committee (EC) of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has decided that individual neutral athletes (AIN) who have qualified under the existing qualification systems of International Federations (IF) on the playing field will be declared eligible to compete. The Olympic Games in Paris 2024 in accordance with the conditions set out below. Individual neutral athletes are athletes with a Russian or Belarusian passport. Strict selection conditions will be applied based on the recommendations of the IOC Executive Committee dated March 28, 2023 for international federations and organizers of international sporting events. Like all other athletes participating in the Olympic Games, neutral athletes will also have to comply with the rules and regulations applicable at the Olympic Games, including the anti-doping rules. Like all other athletes, they will also have to sign the updated Terms of Participation applicable to Paris 2024. They contain an obligation to comply with the Olympic Charter, including the "Peaceful Mission of the Olympic Movement." An excerpt of the new form can be found here. Individually neutral athletes will be invited by the IOC and their respective MF. Only a very limited number of athletes will be able to qualify through the existing MF qualification systems. Among the 4,600 athletes from all over the world who qualified for Paris 2024, there are only 11 individual neutral athletes (eight with a Russian passport plus three with a Belarusian passport). For comparison, to date, more than 60 Ukrainian athletes have qualified for Paris 2024. It is expected that the Ukrainian delegation will be about the same size as at the Olympic Games in Tokyo 2020. The strict admission conditions for individual neutral athletes at the 2024 Paris Games are the same strict admission conditions under which they qualified, namely: 1) Qualified athletes with a Russian or Belarusian passport will be declared and will compete as individual neutral athletes ("AIN"). 2) Teams of athletes with a Russian or Belarusian passport are not considered. 3) Athletes who actively support the war will not be allowed to participate or participate in competitions. Support personnel actively supporting the war will not be introduced. 4) Athletes who have signed a contract with the Russian or Belarusian military or national security agencies will not be allowed to participate or participate in competitions. Support personnel contracted with the Russian or Belarusian military or national security agencies will not be introduced. 5) Any such individual neutral athlete, like all other participating athletes, will have to comply with all anti-doping requirements applicable to him in the run-up to and during the Olympic Games in Paris 2024, and in particular those set out in the anti-doping rules. The doping rules of the MF. 6) Sanctions against the perpetrators of the war, the Russian and Belarusian states and governments, remain in force for the Olympic Games in Paris 2024. This means, in particular, that: No flag, anthem, colors or any other symbols of Russia or Belarus will be displayed at the Olympic Games in Paris 2024 at any official place or at any official event. No Russian or Belarusian government or government officials will be invited or accredited to the Olympic Games in Paris 2024. The practical application of today's decision of the IOC Executive Committee can be found in the "Principles concerning the participation of individual neutral athletes and their support staff with a Russian or Belarusian passport at the Olympic Games in Paris 2024", which are a separate document and can be found here. It states, among other things, that the IOC will seek an independent assessment of the eligibility of each qualified AIN proposed by IF and their support staff. The IOC Executive Director's considerations included, among others: The call of the international federations at the Olympic Summit on December 5, 2023 to make such a decision as soon as possible (see the Olympic Summit communique here). The MF's call was supported by the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC), the Continental Associations of National Olympic Committees (NOCs) and the NOCs present. The opinion of the vast majority of athletes is not to punish fellow athletes for the actions of their government. The fact that all these calls and views were confirmed and further reinforced during consultations this week requires the participation of stakeholders in the Olympic movement: IOC members, a network of athletes' representatives, international federations and national Olympic committees. United Nations (UN) Resolution on the Olympic Truce A/RES/78/10 for the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris 2024, which supports the autonomy of sport and the political neutrality of the IOC, as enshrined in the Olympic Charter. It was approved by an overwhelming majority of 118 Member States, with only two countries abstaining (the Russian Federation and the Syrian Arab Republic) and not voting against. ( More information can be found here ) The declaration of the G20 leaders in New Delhi, which in September said: "We also look forward to the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris in 2024 as a symbol of peace, dialogue between countries and inclusivity with the participation of all." ( More information can be found here ) The Declaration of the Non-Aligned Movement, which includes 120 UN member states, which states: "The participation of athletes from all 206 national Olympic Committees in the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris will become a strong symbol of the unity of humanity." ( More information can be found here ) The concern of two special rapporteurs of the UN Human Rights Council, who demanded that the IOC ensure "non-discrimination of any athlete on the basis of his nationality." Assurances at the Olympic Summit by the President of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the Chairman of the International Testing Agency (ITA) that doping control in Russia continues. This year, more than 10,500 samples were collected from Russian athletes participating and out of competition, despite the extremely limited number of AIN participating in international competitions. This means that Russia remains in the top ten countries tested. In addition, it was indicated that in 2023, ITA conducted more than 400 out-of-competition tests on athletes of Russian citizenship. Blood and urine samples are transported with a strict chain of custody to many laboratories outside the country. Any adverse analytical findings are accepted and monitored by WADA. The fact that the pre-Games anti-doping testing program developed by ITA, aimed at athletes, sports and countries with the highest risk, as well as athletes who can qualify for Paris 2024, includes Russian athletes. Despite the suspension of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC), the IOC Executive Committee has not changed its recommendations regarding the participation of AIN under these strict conditions. Protecting the rights of individual athletes to participate in competitions, despite the suspension of their NOCs, is an established practice that respects human rights and has been applied in a number of suspended NOCs during the past Olympic Games. The ROC had to be suspended due to a unilateral decision to include regional sports organizations under the jurisdiction of the NOC of Ukraine in its composition, which is a violation of the Olympic Charter, since it violates the territorial integrity of the NOC of Ukraine. The IOC Executive Committee also reaffirmed the firm commitment of the entire Olympic movement to help Ukrainian athletes in every possible way in order to see a strong team of the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine at the Olympic Games in Paris 2024 and the Winter Olympic Games in Milan Cortina. 2026. To achieve this goal, the IOC has tripled the size of the NOC Solidarity Fund of Ukraine to 7.5 million US dollars. At least 3,000 Ukrainian athletes and other members of the Ukrainian Olympic community have benefited from the IOC Solidarity Fund over the past 12 months through the NOC of Ukraine, as well as direct assistance from other stakeholders of the Olympic movement, including the IOC and the NOC. These efforts took the form of financial and logistical support to ensure that Ukrainian athletes can continue to train and participate in competitions, providing, among other things, transportation support, training facilities, housing, equipment and uniforms.