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On 9 July, IOC President Thomas Bach made an emotional return to Montreal on Canada Olympic Excellence Day. It was his first visit to the city since he won a fencing Olympic gold medal in 1976. He was accompanied throughout the day by IOC Members Richard W. Pound and Julio César Maglione, and Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) President, Marcel Aubut.At the City Hall, the President was made an honorary citizen of the city of Montreal by Mayor Denis Coderre and received the key to the city during a ceremony held in the presence of almost 130 guests, including Canadian Transport Minister Robert Poëti and Sir Craig Reedie, President of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and IOC Vice-President.In the evening, President Bach joined more than 100,000 people of Montreal to celebrate the placing of the Olympic rings on the new headquarters of the Canadian Olympic Committee. Montreal is the first Olympic city to take advantage of new proposals from Olympic Agenda 2020, which allow for the rings to be displayed prominently as a symbol of the legacy of the Olympic Games. But the most poignant moments of the day came when President Bach visited the venue on the University of Montreal campus where he competed in fencing as a 22-year-old for what was then West Germany.On 4 September, the IOC announced a USD 2 million fund will be made available to National Olympic Committees (NOCs) for programmes focused on refugees. “With this terrible crisis unfolding across the Middle East, Africa and Europe, sport and the Olympic Movement wanted to play their part in bringing humanitarian help to the refugees. We made a quick decision that we needed to take action and to make this fund available immediately,” said IOC President Thomas Bach. “We have a long-term relationship with the United Nations and with UNHCR and we draw on their help and expertise. We know through experience that sport can ease the plight of refugees, many of them young people and children, be they in the Middle East, Africa, Europe or in other parts of the world.” NOCs and other interested parties will be asked to submit projects to the IOC for funding. The fund is made up of USD 1 million from the IOC and USD 1 million from Olympic Solidarity. On 8 July, IOC President Thomas Bach addressed the 53rd General Assembly of the Pan-American Sports Organisation (PASO) in Toronto (Canada). He spoke about progress of the implementation of Olympic Agenda 2020, and in particular about good governance. PASO President and IOC Member, Julio César Maglione, expressed his support, which was also evident in the comments expressed by the NOC members of PASO. He presented President Bach with the PASO Order.In May, IOC President Thomas Bach announced widespread changes to the composition and function of the IOC commissions for 2015.The changes are a direct result of the reforms stemming from implementation of Olympic Agenda 2020. The review of the scope and composition of the IOC commissions was one of the 40 recommendations approved by the 127th IOC Session last December in Monaco. The new make-up of the commissions reflects the philosophy initiated by Olympic Agenda 2020, and will provide a strong support to the IOC Session, the IOC Executive Board and the IOC President in the implementation of the roadmap designed to shape the future of the Olympic Movement. The changes to the function and composition of the commissions have been undertaken by the IOC President working closely with the IOC Executive Board. President Bach has significantly increased the number of women nominated to each commission compared to two years ago when he was first elected. A third (32 per cent) of places on the IOC commissions are now occupied by women, a 49 per cent increase since President Bach took office. There has also been an increase in the number of commission members from Africa and Oceania, while the number of chairpersons from Africa and Asia now accounts for 34 per cent of the total. The commissions also include more representatives from the different stakeholders of the Olympic Movement and, for the first time, representatives from international organisations such as the United Nations. Two entirely new commissions have been created: an Olympic Channel Commission, which will ensure that all relevant stakeholders and expertise are consulted throughout the development of the Olympic Channel; and a Communications Commission, which will help to develop strategies to support the promotion of the Olympic values and the IOC’s vision and mission to a global audience. Above President Bach with Nadia Comaneci and Katarina Witt14 OLYMPIC REVIEW