The World Scout Committee (WSC) met in Istanbul, Turkey from 30 March to 2 April for its second business meeting of the 2021-2024 triennium. The meeting was an opportunity for the WSC to meet in-person for the first time since October 2019 and the onset of the global COVID-19 pandemic.
The first day of the meeting featured a “camp day” hosted by Türkiye İzcilik Federasyonu, WOSM’s National Scout Organization (NSO) in Turkey. The day offered the WSC opportunities for team-building, reconnection, and symbolic moments to strengthen the unity of the team, including a renewal of the Scout Promise at a campfire.
Prior to the start of business, the WSC took time during workshops to review the current membership trends of the Scout Movement and to reflect on the development of the new Strategy for Scouting that will succeed Vision 2023. As part of its commitment to continuous improvement and learning, the WSC also undertook internal training about managing Safe from Harm cases, handling conflicts of interest, and engaged in a “speaker’s corner” to reflect on potential new governance initiatives.
The business part of its meeting started with a report from WOSM’s Secretary General covering the period from November 2021 to April 2022. The report featured updates on the following topics:
- Progress updates on the delivery of the 2021-2024 Triennial Plan, including the successful launch of 19 projects, the establishment of Task Forces and Standing Committees, and the appointment and induction of more than 100 volunteers to the Operational Framework.
- Ongoing innovations in WOSM Services to strengthen the uptake of services by NSOs, including an upcoming review of GSAT, WOSM’s quality standard for NSOs.
- The work on supporting NSOs to achieve compliance with Safe from Harm standards, including a review by an external specialist of WOSM’s current policies, development of a Safe from Harm compliance mechanism, and strengthening support to NSOs in the area of Safe from Harm.
- Organisation-wide efforts to deliver Six Regional Conferences in 2022, noting a successful virtual convening of the Asia-Pacific Region, as well as the subsequent planned induction of the incoming Regional Committees.
- Strong resource mobilisation and NSO grantmaking efforts, with an aim to further streamline these opportunities in line with the development of WOSM’s educational initiatives.
- Continued collaboration with WOSM partners, World Scout Foundation and Big 6 Youth Organizations, including an overview of the impact of the Global Youth Mobilization halfway through its implementation.
- Several communication initiatives, including WOSM’s Annual Report 2020-2021, and the upcoming launch of a new scout.org website and upgraded WOSM Services learning zone to ensure easy access for NSOs to WOSM resources.
- Continued conservative management of the World Scout Bureau’s (WSB) finances, noting a balanced financial result despite challenging economic circumstances, as well as strengthening compliance.
- An ongoing review of the WSB’s human resources and management practices and policies, in light of learning from the global pandemic, as well as global trends on the future of work.
Following reports from the Regions, the WSC took time to reflect on the Scout Movement’s humanitarian response following the war in Ukraine, expressing its strong support and appreciation for the tremendous efforts of the National Organization of Scouts of Ukraine (NOSU), as well as NSOs in the neighbouring countries of Bulgaria, Czechia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Poland, Romania and Slovakia, to support countless refugees and local communities being impacted by the conflict.
The WSC also received briefings and took decisions on a range of other topics, including:
- Approval of the WSB's audited financial statements for the fiscal year 2020-2021, review of the current year-to-date expenditures and registration fee collections, and looking at the budget planning process for the upcoming fiscal year.
- A report on the new strategy being developed by the World Scout Foundation and the joint efforts with WOSM to mobilise additional funds for Scouting, including updates on the Re-Energising Scouting Fund and the renewal of the Messengers of Peace grant.
- Review of WOSM’s risk register, reflecting on increased risks stemming from the impact of geopolitical issues in specific Regions and NSOs over the last period, as well as the sustained impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Member Organizations.
- Briefings on upcoming World Scout Events, noting good progress on the preparations for JOTA-JOTI in 2022, and initial work about to start with the Hosts of the 43rd World Scout Conference (Egypt), 15th World Scout Moot (Portugal), and 26th World Scout Jamboree (Poland). The WSC further initiated work on the concept of a new edition of the World Scout Education Congress.
- An analysis of the progress update and postponement request from the Host of the 25th World Scout Jamboree, scheduled for August 2023. Following a thorough review, the WSC decided to decline the Host’s request for postponement, and welcomed its continued commitment to host the Jamboree during the approved dates from 1 to 12 August 2023 in Saemangeum, Republic of Korea. More detailed information for International Commissioners and Heads of Contingents is available through this statement.
- Review and endorsement of the principles and participatory process that will shape a new Strategy for Scouting to succeed Vision 2023 at the 43rd World Scout Conference. The process will ensure that the proposal will be ambitious, relevant to the needs of young people, as well as guide and inspire the Scout Movement into the future.
In addition, the WSC considered several institutional matters, including changes to the Asia-Pacific and Arab Regional Constitutions following their Regional Conferences, approval of streamlined Terms of Reference for its substructures, and renewal of the status for several organisations holding consultative status with the WSC.
The WSC agreed to convene its next business meeting in Cairo, Egypt from 30 September to 2 October 2022. In the meantime, we look forward to sharing ongoing updates to the Scout Movement through ScoutPak and the online Members Portal as we continue to make progress on the delivery of Vision 2023.