Three days of many meetings – with visits to competition venues and units of the Pacification Police – marked the beginning of the joint work of International Olympic Committee (IOC) Coordination Commission for 2016 Olympiads, Rio 2016 Organizing Committee and the Federal, State and Municipal administrations.

On Tuesday, January 19th, the president of the Coordination Commission Nawal El Moutawakel, reaffirmed to be convinced that Rio 2016 Games will provide a unique experience to all participants, and announced that the next IOC visit is scheduled for the month of May, when all the 18 Committee members should be coming to Rio.

Appointed by IOC on January 13 to chair the Coordination Commission, Nawal El Moutawakel arrived in Rio just 4 days later, accompanied by the IOC Executive Director of Olympic Games Gilbert Felli; project manager Jennifer O´Brien and design, planning and control consultant Grant Thomas. “We discussed how the organization of Rio 2016 Games will be managed and I am convinced that this is very promising partnership. There is no time to loose when it comes to the organization of the Games. Rio 2016 is working fast and wonderful Olympic Games will be delivered if this pace is kept. We are all sailing on the same boat”, Nawal said, explaining that the Coordination Commission is formed by Olympic Games experts. “We are here to help and stage a highly successful event”.

Besides Rio2016 staff, meetings were attended by Minister of Sport Orlando Silva; governor Sérgio Cabral and mayor Eduardo Paes. The president of Rio 2016 Organizing Committee Carlos Arthur Nuzman highlighted the difference between the actions required during the bid stage and the work to be developed now that Rio will be hosting the Games. “We must now build the organization of the Games. The IOC will be working hard with the Organizing Committee, they will be coming to Rio for periodical visits that will involve not just the Coordination Commission, but also various groups working in specific areas. We are discussing the project and certain adjustments to improve it”, Nuzman explained.

One of the subjects discussed during the meeting was the establishment of the Olympic Public Authority, which will be in charge of coordinating public services and the delivery of the infrastructure needed for Rio 2016 Games. Commission President Nawal El Moutawakel specifically wanted to visit units of Rio de Janeiro Pacification Police. “Security is always among IOC and host city priorities. We asked to visit the Pacification Police units because we were really impressed with the presentation about this project during Rio’s bid process”, Nawal said.

More information:

Catherine St-Laurent
cstlaurent@verocom.co.uk

Saint-Clair Milesi
saintclair.milesi@rio2016.com