Mustapha Berraf has opened a new phase of ANOC Vision 2036 by inviting all 206 National Olympic Committees to help develop his proposal for the Association of National Olympic Committees -ANOC-. The initiative comes ahead of the General Assembly on 7 and 8 December in Hong Kong, where members will elect their president for the 2026-2030 term. Berraf intends to use the coming months to incorporate the experiences, priorities and solutions of organisations operating with different resources, structures and needs.
The decision continues the approach Berraf has developed during more than four decades in sports administration. As President of the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa -ANOCA-, ANOC Vice-President for Africa and a member of the International Olympic Committee -IOC-, he has worked with Africa’s 54 NOCs and national sporting systems with varying institutional capacities. His campaign is based on the idea that strengthening the Olympic Movement depends on the capacity of each of its members and is now moving from an established programme towards a process of collective contribution.
From a written programme to a shared vision
Berraf publicly presented ANOC Vision 2036 on 7 July, before the current presidential contest had fully taken shape. The project established ten commitments and proposed a stronger, more united and independent ANOC that would be more responsive to the needs of its members. The subsequent Initiative 206 added a practical application: enabling every NOC to access tools, knowledge, partnerships and opportunities, regardless of its size, geographical location or available resources. The manifesto was subsequently distributed to all 206 national organisations.
The new phase does not replace those commitments but seeks contributions from members on how they should be implemented. “I am not requesting the 206 NOCs to subscribe to one man’s vision. I am encouraging them to contribute to a vision that is truly theirs,” Berraf said. “We have proposed a clear way forward. It needs to be enriched with the experience, priorities and ideas of our entire Olympic Family.” The campaign must still define the channels and timetable for this consultation, but proposes that ANOC should operate as a platform through which solutions developed in one country can be shared with organisations on other continents.
Ten commitments for different organisations
The ten commitments cover stronger and more autonomous NOCs, greater athlete involvement and cooperation between the five continental associations. They also include improvements in governance, independence and transparency; access to digital technology and artificial intelligence; training and knowledge-transfer programmes; and greater representation of women and young people in leadership positions. The proposal is completed by using sport as an instrument for peace and sustainability, developing international partnerships and preparing ANOC for the challenges it will face by 2036.
This approach reflects an idea that has accompanied Berraf throughout his career: a measure that works for an organisation with stable facilities, staff and funding cannot necessarily be transferred in the same way to one with limited resources. His programme therefore combines common standards with solutions adapted to national circumstances. “I want us to listen to the 206 NOCs, because each of them has experience and know-how that can enrich our collective efforts,” he said. His proposal also gives space to athletes and the development of future sports administrators, two groups whose experience he regards as necessary for responding to the economic, technological, environmental and geopolitical changes affecting international sport.
An election between two projects
The contest has become politically concentrated around Berraf and Spanish Olympic Committee -COE- President Alejandro Blanco, after Spyros Capralos and Neven Ilic withdrew their prospective candidacies and endorsed the Spanish official. Berraf has a motion of support unanimously approved by the African NOCs, while Blanco is seeking to build support across Europe and the Americas through the agreement reached by the presidents of the European Olympic Committees -EOC- and Panam Sports. These endorsements provide both campaigns with continental structures, but do not automatically commit the individual vote of any NOC.
Candidates had to be nominated by one NOC and endorsed by at least one other by 9 September. ANOC will officially communicate the final list of candidates to its members by 9 October. Before the vote, Berraf intends to turn his ten initial commitments into a proposal shaped by contributions from all five regions, while Blanco is developing a programme also focused on unity, independence and responding to members’ needs. In Hong Kong, the 206 NOCs will decide which candidate and approach they consider best suited to defining ANOC’s role over the following four years.
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