This archive report was first published on 16 May 2020.
On May 16, 2020, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) signed a cooperation agreement with the World Health Organisation (WHO) to promote a healthy society through sport and prevent non-communicable diseases.
As the Tokyo Summer Games approach, scheduled to take place from July 23 to August 8, 2021, Olympic chief Thomas Bach has emphasized the need for vigilance and patience in preparations.
Speaking after the agreement signing, Bach stated, "We're one year and two months away from these Games, and then we will take all the necessary decisions at the right time relying on the advise of the World Health Organisation, discussing it on our joint task force."
He added, "But I think nobody can at this moment in time really give you a reliable answer on how the world will look like in July 2021. So we have to be vigilant and we have to be patient at the same time to take the right measures to ensure the safe participation of everybody in the Games."
The IOC took the historic decision to postpone the Games in March, following the Covid-19 outbreak that has killed over 304,000 people globally and infected 4.5 million.
