| World Organization of the Scout Movement | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 | |||
| Headquarters | World Scout Bureau:Geneva, Switzerland Secretary General's Office:Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | ||
| Country | Worldwide | ||
| Founded | 1922[1][2] | ||
| Membership | |||
| Chair | Daniël Corsen | ||
| Vice-Chairs | Julius Kramer Mori Cheng | ||
| Secretary General | David Berg | ||
| Website www  | |||
 Scouting portal | |||
TheWorld Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM/ˈwʊzəm/), branded asWorld Scouting since 2024,[6] is the largest and, after theOrder of World Scouts (formed in 1911), is the second-oldest international organization in theScout Movement, having been established in 1922.[1][2] It has 176 members.[3] These members are national scout organizations that founded WOSM or have subsequently been recognised by WOSM, which in 2025 collectively have around 51.4 million participants, (up from 43 million in 2022)[7] and a reach of 60 million young people.[5] Its operational headquarters is inKuala Lumpur, Malaysia, although it is legally based inGeneva, Switzerland.
WOSM's stated mission is "to contribute to the education of young people, through a value system based on theScout Promise andScout Law, to help build a better world where people are self-fulfilled as individuals and play a constructive role in society".[8][9]
WOSM operates through conferences of its member organization representatives, its committee and its full-time bureau, structured into regions. It is associated with threeWorld Scout Centres. AWorld Scout Jamboree is held approximately every four years under its auspices and it organizesWorld Scout Moots for 17- to 26-year-olds and previously organizedWorld Scout Indabas, a gathering for Scout leaders. TheWorld Scout Foundation is a separately governed fund, supported by donations, for the development of WOSM associated programs.
WOSM is the counterpart of theWorld Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS).[further explanation needed][citation needed] It is anon-governmental organization with GeneralConsultative Status to theUnited Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).[10]
In 1920, a conference held during the1st World Scout Jamboree at Olympia, London agreed to create a Boy Scouts international bureau. An office was established at 25Buckingham Palace Road, London andThe Boy Scouts Association of the United Kingdom International Commissioner,Hubert S. Martin, was appointed as honorary director. The bureau's principal task was to co-ordinate discussions and prepare a second international conference in Paris in 1922.[1][2] At the 1922 Paris conference,The International Conference of the Boy Scout Movement and its committee were constituted and took over the bureau in London.[2]
In 1961, the organization's conference reconstituted the organization under the nameWorld Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM). Its International Conference of the Boy Scout Movement became WOSM's World Scout Conference ("conference"), its Boy Scouts International Committee became WOSM's World Scout Committee ("committee") and its Boy Scouts International Bureau became WOSM's World Scout Bureau ("bureau").[11]
WOSM's membership consists of its remaining founding member organizations and organizations recognized by WOSM as national scout organizations. WOSM's rules protect its founding and existing member organizations by permitting only one member organization in each country and locking-out all other Scout organizations from WOSM membership, recognition and participation no matter how worthy or large their membership.[1] Several member organizations are federations, some with different component groups divided on the basis of religion (e.g., France and Denmark), ethnic identification (e.g., Israel) or language (e.g., Belgium). However, WOSM has never required an existing member organization to federate with other Scout organizations in the country, in order to make WOSM more inclusive and representative. There are numerousCanadian Scout organizations but only one is a WOSM member organization (the Canadian branch of one of the organizations that founded WOSM) which has a French language affiliate which is thereby recognized by WOSM. Other than this inherent limitation on WOSM membership, the basis for WOSM membership includes adherence to WOSM's aims and principles and independence from political involvement on the part of each member organization.
WOSM has member organizations in some non-sovereign territories.
WOSM historically recognized some non-national Scout organizations:
WOSM's conference is its general meeting of member organizations' representatives which meet every three years, hosted by a member association. Each member organizations may send six delegates. The conference is usually preceded by theWorld Scout Youth Forum.[22][23]
| Date | Number | Location | Country | Member Countries | Host Candidate Countries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1920 | Retrospectively referred to as the "First International Conference" | London |  United Kingdom | 33 | |
| 1922 | First International Conference (retrospectively referred to as the "Second")[2] | Paris |  France | 30 | |
| 1924 | Third International Conference | Copenhagen |  Denmark | 34 | |
| 1926 | Fourth International Conference | Kandersteg |  Switzerland | 29 | |
| 1929 | Fifth International Conference | Birkenhead | United Kingdom | 33 | |
| 1931 | Sixth International Conference | Baden bei Wien |  Austria | 44 | |
| 1933 | Seventh International Conference | Gödöllő |  Hungary | 31 | |
| 1935 | Eighth International Conference | Stockholm |  Sweden | 28 | |
| 1937 | Ninth International Conference | The Hague |  Netherlands | 34 | |
| 1939 | 10th International Conference | Edinburgh | United Kingdom | 27 | |
| 1947 | 11th International Conference | Château de Rosny-sur-Seine | France | 32 | |
| 1949 | 12th International Conference | Elvesæter |  Norway | 25 | |
| 1951 | 13th International Conference | Salzburg | Austria | 34 | |
| 1953 | 14th International Conference | Vaduz |  Liechtenstein | 35 | |
| 1955 | 15th International Conference | Niagara Falls, Ontario |  Canada | 44 | |
| 1957 | 16th International Conference | Cambridge | United Kingdom | 52 | |
| 1959 | 17th International Conference | New Delhi |  India | 35 | |
| 1961 | 18th International Conference | Lisbon |  Portugal[24] | 50 | |
| 1963 | 19th World Scout Conference | Rhodes |  Greece | 52 | |
| 1965 | 20th World Scout Conference | Mexico City |  Mexico | 59 | |
| 1967 | 21st World Scout Conference | Seattle |  United States | 70 | |
| 1969 | 22nd World Scout Conference | Espoo |  Finland | 64 | |
| 1971 | 23rd World Scout Conference | Tokyo |  Japan | 71 | |
| 1973 | 24th World Scout Conference | Nairobi |  Kenya | 77 | |
| 1975 | 25th World Scout Conference | Lundtoft | Denmark | 87 | |
| 1977 | 26th World Scout Conference | Montreal |  Canada | 81 | |
| 1979 | 27th World Scout Conference | Birmingham | United Kingdom | 81 | |
| 1981 | 28th World Scout Conference | Dakar |  Senegal | 74 | |
| 1983 | 29th World Scout Conference | Dearborn | United States | 90 | |
| 1985 | 30th World Scout Conference | Munich |  West Germany | 93 | |
| 1988 | 31st World Scout Conference | Melbourne |  Australia | 77 | |
| 1990 | 32nd World Scout Conference | Paris | France | 100 | |
| 1993 | 33rd World Scout Conference | Sattahip |  Thailand | 99 | |
| 1996 | 34th World Scout Conference | Oslo | Norway | 108 | |
| 1999 | 35th World Scout Conference | Durban |  South Africa | 116 | |
| 2002 | 36th World Scout Conference | Thessaloniki | Greece | 125 | |
| 2005 | 37th World Scout Conference | Hammamet |  Tunisia | 122 |  Hong Kong |
| 2008 | 38th World Scout Conference | Jeju-do |  South Korea | 150 | |
| 2011 | 39th World Scout Conference | Curitiba |  Brazil | 138 | Australia,Hong Kong, Switzerland |
| 2014 | 40th World Scout Conference | Ljubljana |  Slovenia | 143 |  Italy |
| 2017 | 41st World Scout Conference | Baku |  Azerbaijan | 169[25] |  Malaysia |
| 2021 | 42nd World Scout Conference | Digital | 170[26] | ||
| 2024 | 43rd World Scout Conference | Cairo |  Egypt[27] | 176 | France,Mexico |
| 2027 | 44th World Scout Conference | London | United Kingdom[28] |  Rwanda,[29] |
WOSM's committee is its executive governing body, composed of elected volunteers and its secretary general, which is responsible for the implementation of the resolutions of its conference and governs the organization between meetings of its conference. The committee meets at least twice a year. Its steering committee, consisting of the chairperson, two vice-chairpersons and its youth advisor and secretary general meet as needed.[30]
The committee has 21 members. Twelve, each from a different country, are elected for three-year terms by WOSM's conference. The members, elected without regard to their nationality, represent the interests of the movement as a whole, not those of their country. The secretary general, the treasurer of WOSM and a representative member of the board of the World Scout Foundation and the chairpersons of the regional Scout committees areex-officio members of the committee. From 2008 to 2021 six Youth Advisors to the WSC were elected by theWorld Scout Youth Forum. The Youth Advisors participated in all of the WSC meetings and were also part of the governing structure between the meetings.[31] There will be no Youth Advisors from 2024.
The 2021–2024 committee set up work streams to address the top strategic priorities, as defined by WOSM's conference.
Task forces include:
Workstream Coordination Group
Standing committees include:
| Name | Country | Position | until |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daniël Corsen |  Curaçao | Chairperson | 2027 |
| Mori Chi-Kin Cheng | Hong Kong | Vice Chairperson | 2027 |
| Julius Kramer | Sweden | Vice Chairperson | 2027 |
| David Berg |  Belgium | Secretary General | 2027 |
| Victor Atipagah |  Ghana | Voting member | 2027 |
| Elise Drouet | France | Voting member | 2027 |
| Callum Kaye | United Kingdom | Voting member | 2027 |
| Steve Kent | Canada | Voting member | 2027 |
| Nour Elhouda Mahmoudi |  Algeria | Voting member | 2027 |
| Martin Meier | Liechtenstein | Voting member | 2027 |
| Mohammad Omar | Egypt | Voting member | 2027 |
| Christine Pollithy | Germany | Voting member | 2027 |
| Marie-Louise C. S. Ycossie |  Côte d'Ivoire | Voting member | 2027 |
| Rubem Tadeu Cordeiro Perlingeiro | Brazil | Chair, Interamerican Region | 2025 |
| Diana Slabu |  Romania | Chair, European Region | 2028 |
| Abdullah Mohammad Al-Turaiji |  Kuwait | Chair, Arab Region | 2025 |
| Franck Ramanarivo |  Madagascar | Chair, African Region | 2028[32] |
| Dale Corvera |  Philippines | Chair, Asia-Pacific Region | 2025 |
| Hong Leng Chay |  Singapore | Treasurer | |
| Jennifer Hancock | United States | World Scout Foundation |
.svg)
WOSM's bureau is its secretariat, which carries out the instructions of its conference and committee. The bureau is administered by the secretary general, supported by a staff of technical resource personnel.[22][33]
A bureau was established in London, England in 1922, moved toOttawa, Ontario, Canada in 1959, Geneva, Switzerland after 1 May 1968[34] andKuala Lumpur after August 2013.[35]
| Number | Title | Years | Name | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Director | 1920–1938 | Hubert S. Martin | United Kingdom |
| 2nd | Director | 1938–1951 | John Skinner Wilson | United Kingdom |
| 3rd | Director | 1951–1965 | Daniel Spry | Canada |
| 4th | Director | 1965–1968 | Richard T. Lund | United Kingdom |
| 5th | Secretary General | 1968–1988 | László Nagy | Switzerland |
| 6th | Secretary General | 1988–2004 | Jacques Moreillon | Switzerland |
| 7th | Secretary General | 2004–2007 | Eduardo Missoni | Italy |
| 8th | Secretary General | 2007–2012 | Luc Panissod | France |
| 9th | Secretary General | 2013–2016 | Scott Teare | USA |
| 10th | Secretary General | 2017–2024 | Ahmad Alhendawi |  Jordan |
| 11th | Secretary General | 2025- | David Berg | Belgium |
| Title | Years | Name | Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deputy Secretary General | 1991–2004 | Malek Gabr | Egypt |
| Deputy Secretary General | 1991–2004 | Luc Panissod | France |
| Deputy Secretary General | 2004–2007 | Dominique Bénard | France |
| Deputy Secretary General | 2004–2007 | Luc Panissod | France |
| Deputy Secretary General | 2024–2025 | David Berg | Belgium |
Kandersteg International Scout Centre inSwitzerland, operated byThe KISC Association, is the only WOSM activity centre.[38]
TheBetter World Framework combines theScouts of the World Award,Messengers of Peace andWorld Scout Environment Programmes as programme initiatives administered by WOSM's bureau.[39]
| WOSM emblem | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 | |||
| Owner | World Organization of the Scout Movement | ||
| Created | 1955, minor redesign August 2024 | ||
| Scouting portal | |||
WOSM's emblem and trademark is a purple circular logo with a whitefleur-de-lis in the center with a purple five-point star in each outer lobe, surrounded by a circle of white rope tied with areef or square knot at the base.
The fleur-de-lis, commonly with a five-point star in each of outer lobe, is a more widely used symbol of theScout Movement. The fleur-de-lis represents the north point on a map or compass and is intended to point Scouts on the path to service. The three lobes on the fleur-de-lis represent the three parts of the Scout Promise: duty to God, service to others and obedience to the Scout Law.[40] A "bond", tying the three lobes of the fleur-de-lis together, symbolizes the family of Scouts.[41] The two five-point stars stand for truth and knowledge, with the ten points representing the ten points of theScout Law.
The WOSM emblem adds an encircling rope, tied with a knot at the base, which symbolizes the unity and bond of the Scout Movement[citation needed] and uses purple and white colours. Inheraldry, the white of the fleur-de-lis and rope denotes purity and theroyal purple denotes leadership and service.[41]
For the origin of the fleur-de-lis as a more widely used Scout symbol see:Scout Movement.
From its origin in 1922 until 1939, WOSM did not have its own emblem. In 1939, its director,J. S. Wilson, introduced an international Scout badge, a silver fleur-de-lis on a purple background containing the five continent names in silver framed between two concentric circles. Wearing of the badge was confined to WOSM committee members and bureau staff and their past members. The design became WOSM's logo and a purple flag containing the design followed, the flying of which was restricted to WOSM international Scout gatherings.
In 1955, WOSM's emblem was redesigned in mid-century minimalist style, dropping the continent names and circles and replacing them with a circle of tied rope in the style of family clan emblems. The redesign was introduced at WOSM's8th World Scout Jamboree by formerBoy Scouts of Greece National CommissionerDemetrios Alexatos.[42]
In August 2024, WOSM introduced a minor redesign of its emblem.
WOSM's emblem is worn byScouts andScouters of several of its member organizations, which determine the manner in which WOSM's emblem is worn.
The Scout Association refers to WOSM's emblem as its "Membership Award"[41] and uses it as its joining badge for its Beavers, Cubs, Scouts, Explorer Scouts and Scout Network, with progressing requirements intended to help the member understand their commitment.[43][44][45][46]
Scouting America (SA) refers to WOSM's emblem as the World Crest. It may be worn on SA uniforms as an emblem of the worldwide Scout Movement. SA first used the badge as an award for Scouts andScouters who participated in an international Scouting event from early 1956 through 1991 with requirements devised by each council. In 1991, SA made it part of the uniform for all Scouts and itsInternational Activity Patch replaced the World Scout Crest as an award.[47]
Scouts South Africa uses the WOSM emblem badge when new members join as a Cub, a Scout or an Adult Leader. The badge is worn on the left front pocket of the uniform, over the heart.[citation needed]
WOSM'sBronze Wolf Award is given for exceptional services to the international Scout Movement. It was first awarded toRobert Baden-Powell by a unanimous decision of the committee on the day the award was instituted in 1935.[citation needed]
See article:Scouts of the World Award
WOSM's Inter-religious Forum serves as a working-group for eight main religious groups:[48]
Publications of WOSM include:
Ten of these overseas branches of accredited National Scout Organizations are considered "potential members" by the WOSM (marked by *).[49]
Served byScouting America
Served byThe Scout Association (UK)'
Served byScouts Australia
 | This article needs to beupdated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(September 2024) |
Australia
Denmark
France
New Zealand
United Kingdom
United States
Antarctica
the first International Conference was held in Paris in '1922', when Great Britain became one of the founder-members of the world organization.
At Balboa we met up with Gunnar Berg and Ray Wyland of the B.S.A., also on their way to Bogota, and had a conference about the question of coloured Scouts in the Canal Zone, who claim British and not Panamanian nationality. It was agreed that they should be taken under the wing of the Canal Zone Council of the Boy Scouts of America, but ten years later they were transferred directly under WOSM's bureau as the International Boy Scouts of the Canal Zone.
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
