The headquarters of the International Olympic Committee is in Lausanne, Switzerland.
The IOC is the governing body of the Olympic Movement and owns the rights to the Olympic symbols, flag, motto, and anthem. It was founded in Paris on June 23, 1894, largely through the efforts of Pierre de Coubertin, who helped revive the Olympic Games in the modern era.
The organization moved its headquarters to Lausanne in 1915 during the First World War. Lausanne’s position in neutral Switzerland helped provide a stable base, and the city is now officially recognized as the Olympic Capital. The IOC operates from Olympic House, which opened in 2019 near Lake Geneva.
The committee elects host cities, coordinates national Olympic committees and international sports federations, and oversees the Summer and Winter Games. The IOC itself does not run every competition directly; instead, organizing committees stage individual editions under its authority. Lausanne also hosts the Olympic Museum, which opened in 1993 and presents the movement’s history.