Scouting and United Nations / Relations, Partnerships and Initiatives

In 1947, WOSM, along with only 41 other Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), was granted consultative status to the United Nations’ Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).

Today we want our allies to look at the Scout Movement as a credible, trustworthy partner. Besides seeing what Scouts can do at local level on community and development projects, we want our partners to fully value their work with Scout organisations everywhere as an investment in an influential, value-based, educational movement, thus as an investment in future responsible, committed citizens and leaders.

The aim of this document is therefore to inform WOSM members of the major achievements in this field over the course of the past decades. It is also conceived as a guide which will help National Scout Organizations and Scouts around the world to better understand the way in which the UN System works and how WOSM is working with it.

This document is also intended to benefit other organisations seeking to forge innovative partnerships with WOSM and its members. The publication shows how different organisations could join forces in an open and collaborative way to achieve common goals, without compromising their respective key missions, integrity and identity.