The International Paralympic Committee was founded in 1989.
The IPC was established on 22 September 1989 in Düsseldorf, West Germany. It became the international governing body for the Paralympic Movement, taking over responsibilities previously handled by international disability-sport organizations.
The committee coordinates the Summer and Winter Paralympic Games and supports the development of Paralympic sport worldwide. It also manages the classification code and works with international sports federations and national Paralympic committees.
The IPC is sometimes confused with the International Olympic Committee, which governs the Olympic Movement. The two organizations are separate, although they cooperate closely on the staging of the Olympic and Paralympic Games.