The terms of reference bylaw, which sets out the composition, powers and jurisdiction of the Ethics Commission, and a separate bylaw dealing with the procedure involved when a case is brought in front of the group, were approved here by ANOC's Executive Council.

It paves the way for the Commission to be formally created at the ANOC General Assembly in Tokyo on November 28 and 29.

The Ethics Commission, which ANOC claim will be independent, is likely to be given the green light at the gathering of the membership in the Japanese capital.

Should it be approved by the General Assembly, the Ethics Commission is due to come into effect on December 1.

The Commission will be comprised of seven members - five independent members, one from each of the Olympic continents that have legal training and experience in arbitration, one athlete representative and one representive from the ANOC Executive Council.

The chairperson would be elected by the members, who will be appointed for four-year terms with a maximum of two.

"Today was an important step forward in our ongoing commitment to ensuring we are implementing the highest standards of good governance and transparency," ANOC President Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah said. 

"In 2016 we adopted a new Code of Ethics which was in line with international best-practice and would support a culture of ethics and integrity. 

"With the approval of these bylaws today, we have moved closer to the establishment of an independent Ethics Commission which will ensure that any breaches to the ANOC Code of Ethics receive a fair and impartial hearing.”

It remains unclear whether this new Ethics Commission will be able to implement sanctions themselves or whether they will merely recommend verdicts to the Executive Council.

Cases will, however, be referred directly to the ANOC Ethics Commission.

Under current rules, ethics procedures are more ad-hoc and involve the Executive Council deciding to employ an external company to carry out investigations. 

The proposed rules appear more stringent than those of many other bodies, including the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

Their Ethics Commission includes four IOC members among its nine members and only rules on cases when requested by the IOC Ethics and Compliance Officer, a professional member of its administrative staff.