Olympics & Paralympics

Sapporo Plans to Form 3rd-Party to Monitor Olympic Committee

Yomiuri Shimbun file photo
The Sapporo municipal government building

The Yomiuri Shimbun

14:09 JST, June 22, 2023

SAPPORO — The Sapporo city government has decided to include in its draft plan the establishment of a third-party body to monitor the organizing committee as part of measures to prevent the recurrence of similar incidents that occurred prior to the Tokyo Games.

The municipal government, which has put in its bid to host the 2030 Winter Olympics and Paralympics, plans to present the draft to a study committee on Wednesday and hear experts’ opinions.

The third-party body will have the authority to access materials that the organizing committee has not disclosed, according to sources close to the matter.

While consulting with the central government, Sapporo is also considering forming a body under a special measures law to strengthen its authority.

In preparation for the 2024 Paris Games, the French government established a special law allowing an independent agency to audit the flow of funds, among other things.

The Sapporo committee will also discuss establishing a management system that is not overly dependent on advertising agencies.