Today is the last day at the World Scout Conference: let’s look what has happened so far!

(WSBERO/Ljubljana) – While delegates assembled at the 40^th World Scout Conference in Ljubljana are in the middle of discussing draft resolutions, amendments and counter amendments addressing a number of matters which will impact the work of the World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM) in the coming years, a number of important decisions have already been made. It is therefore time to look on what has happened so far from a European Region perspective.

The new Youth Advisers to the World Scout Committee

The 12^th World Scout Youth Forum was held in Rogla just prior to the World Scout Conference and provided a platform to young delegates from around the world to address and debate matters concerning World Scouting. By the end of the week a series of Resolutions had been adopted reflecting the viewpoints of the young people present at the Forum. The delegates also elected the six new Youth Advisers, who will not only take an active role in the discussions and work of the World Scout Committee but also prepare the next World Scout Youth Forum in 2017. Two of the six Youth Advisers are from NSOs in the European Region: Máire Fitzgerald (from Scouting Ireland) and Jérémy Apart (from Scouts et Guides de France), both well known to the European Region, with Máire having been involved in several editions of the Agora (the peer organised regional event for Rover Scouts) and Jérémy being member of the External Relations and Funding Core Service Group of the Region. Jérémy will preside the group of Youth Adviser and the Youth Forum Planning Committee.

The Association des Guides et Scouts de Monaco received as full Member Organisation

At the beginning of the 40^th World Scout Conference, the Associations des Guides et Scouts de Monaco was welcomed as new full member organisation of WOSM. The Association had previously been an Accredited National Scout Organisation without voting rights.

The World Scout Committee 2014-2017 during its first meeting

On the second day, the Conference elected the new World Scout Committee. Four of the twelve new members of the supreme executive organ of WOSM are from NSOs in the European Region: Karen Ahlbäck (from Suomen Partiolaiset-Finlands Scouter), Lidija Prozaic Frketic (from Savez izviđača Hrvatske), João Armando Gonçalves (from Corpo Nacional de Escutas), and Craig Turpie (from The Scout Assocation). All four are well known in the European Region having served previously on the European Scout Committee (with Craig and Lidia chairing it for a number of years) or as Youth Adviser to the World Scout Committee. During its first meeting, the new World Scout Committee then decided to confer its chairpersonship to João Armando Gonçalves. Jemima Nartey (from the Scout Association of Ghana) and Dan Ownby (from the Boy Scouts of America) will serve as Vice Chairpersons.

Scouting Ireland presenting their World Scout Moot bid

Also on the second day, the Conference decided to approve the bid presented by Scouting Ireland as host organisation of the 16th World Scout Moot in 2021. The decision was very close, with the alternative bid from Magyar Cserkészszövetség also receiving a large amount of votes.

Finally, on day four of the Conference, the delegates decided to confer the hosting of the 13^th World Scout Youth Forum and 41^st World Scout Conference to Azərbaycan Skautlar Assosiasiyası. The two events will therefore take place in Gabala (Forum) and Baku (Conference) in 2017. These will be the first two major World Scout events hosted in the Eurasia Scout Region.

The European Region congratulates all Scouts elected to serve as Youth Advisers or as members of the World Scout Committee and wishes them all the best in their new roles. Congratulations also to our friends in Scouting Ireland who will plan the World Scout Moot in 2021.

Find out more about what was discussed at the 12^th World Scout Youth Forum and the 40^th World Scout Conference on WOSM’s website. Official pictures are published on WOSM’s picture gallery and recordings of the plenary sessions of the Conference will be made available on WOSM’s youtube channel in due course.

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