The MoU was signed by IAAF President Lamine Diack and IPC President Sir Philip Craven, who both serve as International Olympic Committee (IOC) members, during the International Forum on Sport, Peace and Development in Geneva.

The MoU includes various areas of cooperation, such as sport rules, mutual promotion, training of technical officials and sharing and exchanging knowledge

Resources will also see the IAAF invite prospective Organising Committees to bid to host the IPC Athletics World Championships in conjunction with the IAAF World Championships.

"The signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between the IAAF and IPC marks a substantial consolidation of the existing friendly and beneficial relationship between us," said Diack, who attend the Christchurch 2011 IPC World Athletics Championships in new Zealand earlier this year.

"We have long presented Para-Athlete competitions at the IAAF World Championships as demonstration events, and we will now actively encourage our Member Federations to further embrace the Paralympic Movement, with the prospect that future World Championships for able-bodied athletes and athletes with a disability could be held in conjunction with each other."


The signing of the MoU, between Diack (pictured left) and Sir Philip (centred), will also see the IPC and IAAF work to develop a plan to encourage the worldwide growth of Athletics for Para-athletes and the Paralympic Movement through an on-going awareness campaign targeting IAAF Member Federations.

"I am delighted about the partnership with IAAF as it will support the development of IPC Athletics," said Sir Philip.

"Through this cooperation, more competitive opportunities will be created for Para-Athletes and thus the worldwide growth of athletics will be supported."

Athletics has been part of the Paralympic Games since 1960 and events are open to male and female athletes in all disability groups.

Athletes compete according to their functional classifications in each event and these events are continually being redefined to include as many participants as possible.

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