《奥林匹克宪章》(Olympic Charter)是国际奥委会制定的关于奥林匹克运动的最高法律文件。宪章对奥林匹克运动的组织、宗旨、原则、成员资格、机构及其各自的职权范围和奥林匹克各种活动的基本程序等作了明确规定。这个法律文件是约束所有奥林匹克活动参与者行为的最基本标准和各方合作的基础。

　　The Olympic Charter (OC) is the codification¹ of the Fundamental Principles of Olympism, Rules and Bye-Laws adopted by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). It governs the organisation², action and operation of the Olympic Movement and sets forth³ the conditions for the celebration of the Olympic Games. In essence, the Olympic Charter serves three main purposes:

a) The Olympic Charter, as a basic instrument of a constitutional nature, sets forth and recalls the Fundamental Principles and essential values of Olympism.

b) The Olympic Charter also serves as statutes⁴ for the International Olympic Committee.

c) In addition, the Olympic Charter defines the main reciprocal rights and obligations of the three main constituents⁵ of the Olympic Movement, namely the International Olympic Committee, the International Federations⁶ and the National Olympic Committees, as well as the Organising Committees for the Olympic Games, all of which are required to comply with the Olympic Charter.

　　《奥林匹克宪章》的内容有以下几个方面。①阐述了奥林匹克运动的宗旨,确定了奥林匹克运动的目标,规定了奥林匹克运动的发展方向;  ②界定了奥林匹克主义和奥林匹克精神等重要概念,奠定了奥林匹克运动实现其目标的思想基础； ③将奥林匹克运动组织体系以法律条款的形式固定下来,对奥林匹克大家庭的各个成员,特别是三大支柱(即国际奥委会、国家奥委会和国际单项体育联合会)在这一运动中各自的位置、功能、任务以及相互之间的关系作了清晰表述和规定,既保证了它们各自的独立性,又使它们互相联系, 形成一个完整的功能体系, 从而提供了一个与奥林匹克运动相应相称的组织基础；④界定了奥林匹克运动的基本内容,如奥运会、大众体育活动及奥林匹克教育与文化活动。