The Caribbean Association of National Olympic Committees (CANOC)

The first meeting of the Caribbean Caucus of National Olympic Committees was held in Barbados in February, 1999. The concept for a Caribbean Olympic Caucus was first touted in January 1998 in Melbourne, Australia when a group of Caribbean delegates met to discuss Caribbean Olympism and other matters of common interest. This group called for the establishment of formal mechanisms for communication and valuable dialogue in order to develop relevant strategies to enhance the regional Olympic Movement.

A Steering Committee was established to realise this. It was during one of their meetings in Barbados in November 1998, that it was decided that the mission of the regional entity would be the planning and implementation of programmes utilising international and regional financial assistance available through the governments of Canada, Australia and through Olympic Solidarity; a sub unit of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).This entity (Caucus) would represent the interests of all regional National Olympic Committees (NOCs), Commonwealth Games Federations (CGFs) and other key stakeholders and would be committed to the preservation of their autonomy, working in conjunction with governments to achieve regional goals.

At a meeting of the Working Group of the Caucus in May 1999, it was agreed that the Caucus be located in Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago and managed by the Trinidad & Tobago Olympic Committee (TTOC).

The work of the Caucus included the preparation of a Constitution. This work resulted in the establishment of the Caribbean Association of National Olympic Committees, the Constitution of which was adopted on July 31st, 2003 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. The first Managing Committee was given the mandate to stage Games in the Caribbean which would present to Caribbean people, at home, quadrenially, the best Caribbean athletes.
Member countries would bid to host each edition of the Games.

CANOC convenes annually in General Assembly.

The official language of CANOC is English. The Secretariat is located in Trinidad and Tobago, at the Olympic House, 63 Dundonald Street, Port of Spain.

The Vision of CANOC according to its Constitution is “Acknowledging the International Olympic Committee as the supreme authority of the Olympic Movement, to ensure the observance of the Olympic Charter and to contribute to the achievement of the goals set out therein while upholding the Fundamental Principles of Olympism.” And “To promote, encourage and assist sport, sport development and physical recreation throughout the Caribbean for the benefit of the nations and people of the Caribbean.”

The Member countries of CANOC are:

Ordinary Members

Anguilla
Antigua & Barbuda
Aruba
Bahamas
Barbados
Belize
Bermuda
British Virgin Islands
Cayman Islands
Cuba
Dominica
Grenada

Guadeloupe
Guyana
Haiti

Jamaica
Martinique
Montserrat
Netherlands Antilles
St. Kitts & Nevis
St. Lucia
St. Vincent & the Grenadines
Suriname
Trinidad & Tobago
Turks & Caicos Islands
US Virgin Islands

Associate Members

Dominican Republic
Puerto Rico