By Azernews

By Laman Ismayilova

Leaders of the National Scout Organizations representing more than 40 million Scouts have convened in Baku for the 41st World Scout Conference.

The event, which is organized by the World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM) and hosted by the Association of Scouts of Azerbaijan, with the support of the Youth and Sport Ministry of Azerbaijan, will be held at the Baku Congress Centre until August 18, 2017.

Back in August 2014, Azerbaijan bid to host two key events of WOSM - the World Scout Conference and World Scout Youth Forum. “Azerbaijan won the right to hold the Scout Forum and the Conference at the last World Scout Conference in Slovenia three years ago. Our country competed with Malaysia, which has a very strong Scouting tradition, and won by only a margin,” Nargiz Balakishiyeva, Director of the 13th World Scout Youth Forum, said.

At the Conference, themed ‘Together for Positive Change’, participants will review the progress made in the past triennium and discuss current trends affecting Scouting worldwide. The Conference is also expected to decide on various issues and deliberate on efforts to achieve Vision 2023 and elect the Chairperson and members of the World Scout Committee, the executive body of WOSM.

The Conference will include the ceremonial welcome of new Member Organizations, as well as the election of the hosts of future World Scout Events, namely the World Scout Jamboree, World Scout Conference and the World Scout Youth Forum.

During the Conference, various tours will be organized throughout the regions of Azerbaijan, as well as a special ‘Evening of acquaintance with culture’, where representatives from participating countries will share the diversity of their cultural and historical traditions through their cuisine, music and dances.

The 13th World Youth Scout Forum and 41st World Scout Conference are among the biggest Scouting events to take place in the Eurasia Scout Region. The Azerbaijan Scout Association has been a member of WOSM since year 2000. Its president, Ilyas Ismayilli, chairs the Host Committee.