Procedure for selecting an Olympics host

What is the Procedure for selecting an Olympics host?

• The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is the body responsible for the host city’s selection. 
• It has 99 member countries, each having its own IOC representative, who is often an ex-Olympian or athlete. 
• Nita Ambani, Founder and Chairperson of Reliance Foundation, is India’s representative.
• In 2019, the voting-based selection process came under fire over allegations of corruption and for resulting in cities pouring in large amounts of money for the games, only for structures like stadiums to become abandoned later on. 
• This is because many countries find it difficult to fill huge stadiums with local teams and justify the disproportionate maintenance costs.
• Under the new process, termed as “revolutionary”, and one that will lead to “savings for potential hosts, as well as more sustainable projects and master plans”, now the IOC goes into direct consultations with interested cities. 

• The process is overseen by two permanent ‘Future Host Commissions’: one for the summer and one for the winter Games. 
• Both are gender-balanced and represent a full range of Olympic stakeholders, including athletes, International Federations (IFs), National Olympic Committees (NOCs) and the International Paralympic Committee (IPC).
• These Commissions make recommendations to the IOC Executive Board (EB) regarding possible future hosts. 
• The EB includes the IOC President, four Vice-Presidents and ten other members. All the EB members are elected by the IOC Session by secret ballot, by majority vote, for a four-year term.
• It decides if any of the candidatures should be put forward for election by the Session. 
• Based on their observations of these countries’ bids and further discussions with those countries, the Future Host Commission recommends a potential host, which the Executive Board then has to take a call on. Finally, the IOC voting happens.
• Whether a city gets selected depends on how it is able to negotiate with the different groups of selectors mentioned here. 

Note:

The next three Olympics’ hosts – Paris (France) in 2024, Los Angeles (the US) in 2028 and Brisbane (Australia) in 2032 – have already been decided.

Further reading: https://journalsofindia.com/new-chief-of-the-indian-olympic-association-ioa/