GLB-C18-2025
Dear friends,
Over the past several months, the leadership from National Scout Organizations (NSOs) around the world came together during Regional Scout Conferences and Youth Forums delivered with the support of regional teams, volunteers and host country organisations.
The events were an opportunity to reconnect with Member Organizations, celebrate the achievements of the past triennium, and discuss the key priorities of our new Strategy for Scouting that will shape the future direction of Scouting in each region. The Conferences were also a chance to put forward resolutions and make decisions on important topics ranging from safeguarding and volunteering to educational innovation and good governance.
At each event, we saw NSO leadership taking bold and decisive action to advance some of the most critical priorities for Scouting globally.
In Vienna, Austria, the European Scout Conference approved a resolution on peace education, calling for NSOs to embed this as a key element of their national Youth Programmes, ensuring that young people develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed to promote peace, democracy, and human rights. A resolution on youth leadership within National Boards of NSOs, as well as within the European Scout Committee, reflects a shared commitment to involve young people in the highest levels of decision-making. Several resolutions also emphasised the need to strengthen the partnership between Scouts and Guides in Europe, deepening collaboration across the Region through initiatives such as the Joint Action Plan and Azimuth.
In Antananarivo, Madagascar, NSOs from Africa elected their youngest-ever Regional Scout Committee, with an average age of 40 years old and four members under 30 years old, demonstrating a strong commitment to youth leadership in Scouting’s governance and decision-making. A landmark resolution was also passed to recognise non-formal education through Scouting, paving the way for Scouting-based qualifications to be formally acknowledged across Africa. The conference further agreed that all NSOs adopt youth involvement policies aligned with the Strategy for Scouting and approved a constitutional amendment reducing the tenure of Regional Committee members to three years (renewable once), strengthening accountability and accessibility of these roles.
In Kaohsiung, Taiwan, in the Asia-Pacific region, a milestone amendment to the Region’s Constitution reaffirmed the importance of safeguarding at all levels of Scouting. The decision now requires the Region’s NSOs to comply with safeguarding requirements for WOSM membership in order to nominate or have members nominated for Regional Committees and working groups, and to bid for or host Regional Scout events. The region also focused on expanding opportunities for youth leadership by ensuring the participation of young people under 30 in the APR Leaders Summit and working towards achieving a 30% representation of young people under 30 in the region’s decision-making bodies.
In Willemstad, Curaçao, NSOs in Interamerica elected a new Regional Scout Committee with a historic 60% female majority. The elections sent a strong signal to the Movement, reinforcing the Region’s commitment to diversity, inclusion, and gender equality, as well as the importance of women in leadership and decision-making. A constitutional amendment also aims to strengthen the implementation of the WOSM Events Strategy, enabling increased oversight and support to Hosts of regional events. The Conference also adopted measures to advance impact measurement across the Region, enabling NSOs to showcase Scouting’s contributions to youth development and community service in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
And in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, NSOs approved a resolution to initiate a comprehensive review of the constitutional and governance structures, aimed at strengthening the unity of the Scout Movement within the Arab Region and beyond. An ambitious Triennial Plan will also focus on strengthening the educational programme of NSOs, offering more flexible volunteer opportunities, and prioritising humanitarian action efforts to promote peace, unity and dialogue.
As a global youth movement of 60 million strong, including 5 million volunteers, our mission and purpose to equip current and future generations of young people with the skills to be ready for life has never been more crucial. These Conference and Youth Forum events are not only a celebration of our collective impact but have served as a launchpad to set our Strategy for Scouting into motion for the next decade.
In case you missed any of the key outcomes, resolutions and decisions from these events, please refer to the latest Circulars and news articles on Treehouse:
- 25th European Scout Conference Resolutions
- 19th Africa Scout Conference Resolutions
- 28th Asia-Pacific Scout Conference Resolutions
- 29th Interamerican Scout Conference Resolutions
- 31st Arab Scout Conference Resolutions
We look forward to reconnecting with NSO leadership and sharing more updates on the progress of implementing our Strategy for Scouting during the annual Founder’s Day Town Hall that will take place in February 2026. Please save the date on Sunday, 22 February, for the online event. More details will be shared in the next ScoutPack about the programme and how to register.
Yours in Scouting,
David Berg
Secretary General
World Scouting
Daniël Corsen
Chairperson
World Scout Committee