WAGGGS – the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts, and WOSM – the World Organization of the Scout Movement – are the two global bodies to which some 40 million Scouts and Guides from around the world belong.

Both bodies are organised in Regions, with WAGGGS Europe Region having 39 Member Organisations (MOs) and the European Region of WOSM gathering 41 National Scout Organisations (NSOs). Every three years the members of the two Regions gather at a European Regional Conference.

This year and for the first time, the 13^th European Guide Conference and the 20^th European Scout Conference will take place in Belgium.

The two conferences are the General Assemblies of the two Regions with clearly defined mandates. Delegates of all MOs and NSOs of the two Regions will come together for five days to discuss and adopt Regional policies, strategies and general orientations for the coming three years. They will receive reports on past and current activities and also elect the Regions’ governing bodies, the European Scout Committee (WOSM) and the Europe Committee WAGGGS.

During the 13^th European Guide and Scout Conference, all delegations will meet jointly to discuss matters of mutual interest and to approve the joint actions, which are also an integral part of the regional plans agreed by the respective separate conferences for the coming three years.

Guides and Scouts in Belgium, the national platform of the five Guide and Scout Associations of Belgium is very proud having been selected to host these important events of European Scouting and Guiding in Brussels in July 2010 and is very much looking forward to welcoming delegates and observers from all Guide and Scout associations across Europe.