The IPC General Assembly will have extra significance in 2017 as it will feature elections for the roles of IPC President, IPC Vice President and 10 IPC Governing Board members.

The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) has today (Tuesday 6 October) launched the search for a host city for the 2017 IPC General Assembly, which will see the election of a new President for the Paralympic Movement.

Held every two years, the IPC General Assembly is the supreme authority of the IPC and is composed of representatives of National Paralympic Committees, International Federations, International Organisations of Sport for the Disabled and Regional Organisations. Around 550 people from more than 150 countries are expected to attend the event which is set to take place in October 2017.

The IPC General Assembly will have extra significance in 2017 as it will feature elections for the roles of IPC President, IPC Vice President and 10 IPC Governing Board members. The current IPC President Sir Philip Craven will step down after serving the maximum number of terms. Therefore, a new IPC President will be elected for the first time since 2001.

As well as staging the IPC General Assembly, the successful host city will during the course of a week of activities also host the 2017 Paralympic Sport and Media Awards. These awards will recognise achievements by leading para-athletes and members of the media at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games. The IPC Governing Board will stage a two-day meeting and a one-day long conference will also be held alongside a number of other meetings.

Stephanie Keller, the IPC’s Director of Protocol, Hospitality and Events, said: “The 2017 IPC General Assembly will act as a significant landmark in history of the Paralympic Movement. It will see the election of a new IPC President for the first time in 16 years, together with the election of a Vice President and Governing Board.

“As a result, global media interest in the event is expected to be extremely high. This, combined with the significant economic impact this event brings to a host city, makes the 2017 IPC General Assembly a very attractive proposition.”

Further information on the 2017 IPC General Assembly, including the bid document, can be found at the IPC's website. The deadline for host cities to express an interest in staging the event is midnight CET on 1 November.

The 2015 IPC General Assembly will take place in Mexico City, Mexico, between 14-15 November.