Since its conception in 1907, the Scouting movement has spread from the United Kingdom to 216 countries and territories around the world. There are over 54 million Scouts worldwide, with 174 national organizations[1] governed by the World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM).
Table of members
The World Organization of the Scout Movement recognizes at most one Scouting organization per country. Some countries have several organizations combined as a federation, 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). Canada is the only country to have two distinct recognized associations, which are divided by language. About 30 national Scout organizations are a member of WOSM and the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts, mostly from Europe and the Arab countries.
Non-sovereign territories with independent WOSM member organizations
In 2020, WOSM listed 25 sovereign countries as potential members. 10 of these were served by oversea branches of WOSM member organizations (see #Countries and territories with Scouting run by overseas branches of WOSM member organizations).[11]
Laos - Laotian Scouting prior to 1975 and in exile[Laotian Scouting in exile existed at least into the early 1990s in Los Angeles and Birmingham. Actually, a small remnant persists in Sacramento and San Pablo, alongside fellow Vietnamese Scouting in exile and Cambodian Scouting in exile groups.]
^"Scoutisme Congolais declared a Member Organization of WOSM". scout.org. August 9, 2023.
^"WOSM MEMBERSHIP as at 31st December 2019" (PDF). World Organization of the Scout Movement. Retrieved August 3, 2021.
^ a b"Some statistics". World Organization of the Scout Movement. Retrieved March 30, 2010.[dead link]
^ a b"Annex 1: Factsheet of the Antigua and Barbuda Scout Association" (PDF). World Scout Bureau. August 2022. Archived (PDF) from the original on November 24, 2022.
^“Applications approved by the World Scout Conference: The following applications were recommended by the World Scout Committee for WOSM membership to the World Scout Conference through the postal ballot process as outlined in Article VI.2 of the WOSM Constitution. Their admission was unopposed or opposed by less than 5% of the Member Organizations for admission, and as such were declared Members of WOSM: Palestinian Scout Association, as the National Scout Organization of the State of Palestine, on 27 February 2016”
^The Palestinian Scout Association was conditionally recognized as a Member Organization of WOSM, without voting rights, as a consequence of Resolution 1996-01 of the World Scout Conference in Norway. Following a decision of the World Scout Committee in August 2014 regarding the evolution of the international recognition of the State of Palestine, the Palestinian Scout Association filed an application for “full” Membership of WOSM with the World Scout Bureau”
^"Associazione Guide Esploratori Cattolici Sammarinesi (AGECS) is now a WOSM member!". www.scout.org.
^"Solomon Islands joins global scout movement". World Organization of the Scout Movement. June 28, 2021. Retrieved August 3, 2021.
^"South Sudan joins World Scouting family". World Organization of the Scout Movement. Archived from the original on June 5, 2013. Retrieved May 3, 2013.
^"Scouting elsewhere". World Organization of the Scout Movement. Archived from the original on March 12, 2007. Retrieved July 10, 2008.
^ a b"National Scout Organizations". www.scout.org.
^"Termination of the World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM) Membership" (PDF). World Organization of the Scout Movement. Retrieved December 8, 2014.
Scouting 'round the World | Facts and Figures on the World Scout Movement. Public Relations and Communications Service, World Scout Bureau. 1990. ISBN 2-88052-001-0. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
