Question Period Note: Russians to compete at Paris Paralympics after International Paralympic Committee votes against ban

Para-athletes from Russia will be allowed to compete at 2024 Paralympics after officials voted against a full ban. The decision by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) members means Russian Para athletes can compete as individual and neutral athletes at the Paris 2024 Paralympics. The IPC General Assembly will discuss later the membership status of Belarus.

• Canada has been resolute in condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and will continue to stand firmly with Ukraine and its people alongside our allies.
· We have taken measures to restrict the participation of athletes and officials representing Russia and Belarus from participating in events hosted in Canada that are funded by the Government of Canada.
· Our government has joined our allies in signing four international statements to restrict the involvement of Russia and Belarus in international sport and will continue to voice this position to international sport bodies at every opportunity.

• Sport Canada has urged federally funded sport organizations to use tools at their disposal to exclude from all competition in Canada all individuals selected by Russia and Belarus to represent the Russian or Belarusian states.
• Sport Canada has established criteria that restricts the participation of individuals from Russia and Belarus in events that are hosted in Canada, for which it provides federal funding.
• In November 2022, at an Extraordinary General Assembly, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) members voted to suspend the National Paralympic Committees of Russia and Belarus.
• In September 2023, the International Paralympic Committee members (IPC) voted against a motion to partially suspend Russia's National Paralympic Committee for "breaches of its constitutional membership obligations", during their general assembly in Bahrain. The decision by IPC members means Russian Para athletes can compete as individual and neutral athletes at the Paris 2024 Paralympics.
• The IPC will discuss the membership status of National Paralympic Committee of Belarus later on September 29, 2023.
• International sport federations have each established their own guidelines and approaches for allowing the participation of individuals from Russia and Belarus in their events, and the majority have banned athletes from those countries.
• Recently, some federations have begun to consider ways for such athletes to participate in events that would allow them to qualify for the 2024 Olympic Games.
• Some high-profile federations, such as World Athletics and the International Skating Union, have maintained their bans.
• On January 24, 2023, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) stated that it wants to allow athletes from Russia and the Belarus to be able to participate in the 2024 Olympic Games as ‘neutral’ athletes.
• On March 28, 2023, the IOC released a set of recommendations for international sport federations and event organizers to allow participants from Russia and Belarus to participate in international sport competitions as neutral athletes.
• The Government of Canada is a signatory to four international statements, each signed by more that thirty nations, calling on the IOC and international federations to maintain stringent restrictions on the participation of athletes from Russia and Belarus as neutral athletes in international competition, including the 2024 Games.
• The IOC is expected to make decisions regarding the participation of athletes from Russia and Belarus in their respective 2024 Summer Games in the Autumn or Winter of 2023.

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