The International Olympics Committee has announced the Commission to evaluate the candidatures for the 2020 Olympic Games - Istanbul, Tokyo and Madrid - will be chaired by Craig Reedie, IOC vice-president and an IOC member in Great Britain.

A board member of the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games (LOCOG), Reedie was also a member of the 2004 and 2008 IOC Coordination Commissions and the 2008 and 2016 IOC Evaluation Commissions.

Also appointed to the commission were IOC members Guy Drut, Frank Fredericks, and Nat Indrapana.

They will be joined by IOC member and representative of the IOC Athletes’ Commission Claudia Bokel, Representative of the Association of National Olympic Committees Eduardo Palomo, IOC member and representative of the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations Pat McQuaid, Representative of the International Paralympic Committee Andrew Parsons and IOC Olympic Games Executive Director Gilbert Felli.

Commenting on the membership of the commission, IOC president Jacques Rogge said: “We’ve assembled a strong and highly knowledgeable group of individuals led by the experienced Sir Craig Reedie, who knows as well as anybody what it takes to host a sustainable, well-organised and ultimately successful Olympic Games.

“The three 2020 Candidate Cities will all benefit greatly from their interactions with the Commission.”

The 2020 Candidate Cities, which all recently took part in the IOC’s Observer Programme during the London 2012 Olympic Games and will also participate in the London 2012 Debriefing in November in Rio de Janeiro, have until January 7th 2013 to submit their Candidature Files to the IOC.

Reedie said: “I am honoured to have been chosen as head of the 2020 Evaluation Commission, which brings with it a wide range of experience and represents all facets of the Olympic Movement, in particular the athletes.

“I look forward to working with my fellow Commission members and the three Candidate Cities in the run-up to next September’s election.”

After an analysis of the files, the commission will visit each city and spend four full days with each bid team.

Together they will examine the 14 themes of the IOC’s candidature questionnaire, which includes topics such as vision and legacy, transport, accommodation, finance and environment, and visit the competition and non-competition sites and venues proposed in the bid.

The visit dates, based on logistical considerations and not the official order of drawing of lots, all fall in March 2013.

Tokyo will go first, from March 4th-7th, followed by Madrid on March 18th-21st, and Istanbul on March 24th-27th.

Around these official visit dates, the commission will also hold a number of private meetings to prepare for and follow up on each visit. 

The Commission’s report will be published prior to the IOC 2020 Briefing for IOC Members to take place at the beginning of July 2013.