Hosted by the Hellenic Paralympic Committee, a total of 27 members (National Paralympic Committees, IPSFs and IOSDs) from all over Europe met from 14 to 15 September at the 7th European Paralympic Committee (EPC) General Assembly and Conference in Heraklion, Crete. Representatives from the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) also attended the meeting, including IPC President Sir Philip Craven and IPC CEO Xavier Gonzalez.

Bonn, Germany – Last week, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced that seven cities have been appointed by their respective National Olympic Committees (NOCs) to apply to host the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The cities, in alphabetical order, are: Baku (Azerbaijan), Chicago (USA), Doha (Qatar), Madrid (Spain), Prague (Czech Republic), Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) and Tokyo (Japan).*

Bonn, Germany - Following three days of positive meetings, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Co-ordination Commission today successfully concluded its fifth visit to Vancouver, the host city of the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.

On 9 September, Xavier Gonzalez, CEO of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), and Zainal Abu Zarin, President of the Asian Paralympic Committee (APC), signed a host agreement in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia for the APC to organize the Asian Women in Paralympic Sport (WIPS) Leadership Summit to be held in Malaysia in 20v08.

From 5 to 7 September, the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games Chef de Mission Seminar took place in Beijing, China, with delegates of more than 90 National Paralympic Committees (NPCs) as well as International Paralympic Committee (IPC) representatives participating.

Bonn, Germany - Today marks the one-year countdown to the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games. The occasion is being celebrated by a number of events in Beijing, China, attended by International Paralympic Committee (IPC) President Sir Philip Craven, IPC Governing Board Members Greg Hartung and Shen Zhifei as well as IPC Chief Executive Officer Xavier Gonzalez and other IPC staff members.

Yesterday, the Beijing Sports Vocational Training Center for the Disabled, a 10-hectare multifunctional complex with facilities and services for athltes with a disability, was officialy unveiled during a ceremony in Beijing, China.

Building upon the success of the inaugural Legacy Lives Conference in London, Great Britain, in 2007, Legacy Lives 2008, to be held from 28 to 30 January 2008 in Barbados, will once again bring together over 250 of the world's leading decision makers in the major sporting events arena – from event rights holders, Local Organizing Committees (LOCs), National Olympic Committees (NOCs), bidding and host cities and International Federations (IFs) to create a forum for a better understanding of the ever increasing importance of legacy planning and implementation – for everyone involved in the bidding, planning, staging and delivery of major events – and of all the sustainable benefits that can and should be integral to this process.

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has announced that it is looking for people to join its Working Committees. WADA Committees act as advisory committees and provide guidance for WADA’s programmes.

Today marks five years to go to the start of the London 2012 Paralympic Games, which will take place between 29 August and 9 September 2012. At this time, London and the whole of the UK will be the centre of the world’s attention as the Opening Ceremony gets underway in Stratford, London.