FAI marks ten years in Lausanne

December 1st is the anniversary of the FAI Secretariat moving to Lausanne, Switzerland from its previous seat in Paris, France. The Secretariat moved in 1998 to its present home on Avenue Mon Repos, near to the centre of the city and has remained at the same address since.

The decision to move was taken during a meeting of the FAI Council in May of 1998 at the Aéroclub de France, with the FAI General Conference having voted in favour of the proposal at the previous conference in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Four candidate cities had submitted bids to accommodate the Secretariat; Geneva, Lausanne, Monaco and Vienna. The vote finally went in favour of Lausanne and plans were made to move before the end of the year.
Lausanne offers a great deal of opportunities for an international sporting federation; it is the home of the International Olympic Committee along with the Olympic Museum, which FAI uses for Commission meetings and other functions. It houses many sporting bodies such as GAISF, SportAccord as well as the Court of Arbitration for Sport. It is the base for some twenty International Federations, with many more elsewhere in the canton of Vaud. Lausanne municipal council supports the sporting federations in different ways and encourages them to meet and exchange knowledge and ideas on a regular basis. Geneva airport is well served with connections to most major cities. Swiss railways provide a quick and efficent link from there into Lausanne, taking in the views of Lake Geneva and the Alps on the way. FAI welcomes several hundred Delegates every year for various meetings and encourages them to stay by the shore of Lake Geneva to take in the breathtaking views.