Under International Olympic Committee president Kirsty Coventry's restructuring of how the IOC operates, 12 standing committees — among them bodies dedicated to human rights and gender equality — are being wound down. A ruling handed down on October 16 reduces the total number of committees from 31 to 19.

Targeted working groups, assembled only when particular matters arise, are set to replace the IOC's practice of maintaining standing committees across all areas. With the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics fewer than two years away, the timing of the shift falls within that countdown window.

According to the IOC, reducing the number of committees operating on a continuous basis would free up capacity to address matters of greater priority. Whenever a specific matter warrants attention, the organisation intends to assemble dedicated working groups to address it, a broadcaster reported.

Among the bodies slated for dissolution are the Gender Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Commission and the Advisory Committee on Human Rights. Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, who previously held the office of deputy president in South Africa, served as chair of that body.

Four additional working groups — covering sustainability, technology, athlete entourages, and digital engagement — are set to be dissolved alongside the others. Membership in those gatherings typically ranged from ten to thirty people, with annual meetings taking place in Lausanne, Switzerland.

Under the arrangement outlined by the IOC, task-specific groups of relevant specialists would be assembled on an as-needed basis, rather than routing every subject through standing committees — a structure the body described as enabling focused engagement on particular strategic and policy priorities.

Disbanding those bodies would not, on its own, bring an end to the IOC's involvement in human rights and gender equality efforts. Unanswered at this stage are questions about meeting frequency, which parties will have a seat at the table, and how any outcomes from those gatherings will be acted upon.

Scrutiny of Coventry's tenure intensified after the gender equality commission was shut down, a move that compounded attention already directed at another policy choice made under that administration. Updated eligibility rules covering the female competition category at Olympic events were put in place by the IOC during March 2026.

Taking effect from the 2028 Los Angeles Games onward, the framework centres on a single SRY gene test as its primary tool for assessing athlete eligibility, subject to defined exceptions. A statement from Coventry described the policy as one designed to uphold competitive fairness and athlete safety, while also guaranteeing that those involved would be treated with dignity and respect.

According to that outlet's coverage, the IOC chose to place the policy review in the hands of a newly formed expert panel, bypassing its standing Gender Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Commission. No names belonging to the panel's members were released to the public. Of the 12 bodies slated for dissolution, that commission holds a place on the list.

A broader initiative to ready the Olympic Movement for the years ahead is also taking shape under Coventry's direction. That roadmap, carrying the title "Fit for the Future" and charting the organisation's course through to 2032, received IOC backing at a meeting held in June 2026. Funding set aside for each competing Olympic athlete forms one part of the package, which also addresses how the Games maintain their appeal and how competitors receive backing across the full arc of their athletic careers.