Q. What is being proposed through Proposed Motion 4 and why?
A. Proposed Motion 4 proposes a strategic change to when Regional Committees are elected.
Proposed Motion 4a allows more than one Regional Conference per triennium. This means the Regional Gatherings at World Conference could be formally recognised as Regional Conferences, while still keeping the Mid‑Triennium Regional Conferences.
Proposed Motion 4b moves Regional Committee elections from the Mid‑Triennium Regional Conferences to the Regional Conferences held at World Conference.
Together, these changes would lead to four key benefits for Member Organisations, Regions and the wider Movement:
Aligned mandates – The World Board and Regional Committees would begin their terms together, strengthening the shared “One Team” approach. It would also mean all Trustees would start their terms together to support collective leadership and reduce the disruption caused by frequent turnover on the World Board changes.
Stronger induction and onboarding – World Board and Regional Committee members could be inducted together, improving cross‑regional learning and better collaboration.
More streamlined election processes – One election cycle per triennium would be simpler for everyone .
More space for regional priorities – Mid‑Triennium Regional Conferences could focus more on what matters most to MOs: shaping regional priorities, sharing learning, building connections and influencing global strategy through meaningful consultation.
We look forward to exploring and discussing the implications of these suggestions further at World Conference.
Q. What is the link between Proposed Motion 4 and WAGGGS’s 12-6-3 planning cycle?
A. WAGGGS’s 12-6-3 planning cycle is not directly affected by this Proposed Motion. Operational planning is already managed via three-year rolling action plans and budgets and there is no intention to change this.
We are now in Year 6 of our current 12-Year cycle, but Regional and Global three-year plans are offset by one year.
Over the next triennium, the World Board has already agreed to move to full alignment of planning cycles across WAGGGS, which requires no Constitutional change. Aligning cycles will significantly improve planning, budgeting and coordination.
While we believe that changing election timings could make cycle alignment even more effective, the shift to fully aligned planning cycles is not dependent on the outcome of Proposed Motions 4a and 4b.
Q. What are the implications of the different voting outcomes on Proposed Motion 4?
A. If both 4a AND 4b are approved
The Constitution would be updated (Clauses 20.1, 20.2, 14.2, 21.1, 21.5, 21.6).
More than one Regional Conference could be held each triennium, but Regional Committee elections must take place at the Regional Conference during World Conference.
WAGGGS would work with each Region to design Mid‑Triennium Regional Conferences that reflect their context and priorities.
Regional Chairs would start their World Board term at the same time as Elected Trustees. This change would start in 2029. Current Regional Committee members would be asked (but not required) to extend their term to 2029.
If 4a AND 4b are NOT approved
No Constitutional changes would be made. Only one Regional Conference could be held per triennium (the Mid‑Triennium Regional Conference).
WAGGGS would work with each Region to design Mid‑Triennium Regional Conferences that reflect their context and priorities.
Elections for Regional Committees and Regional Chairs would continue to take place at the Mid‑Triennium Regional Conference.
If 4a is approved AND 4b is NOT approved
The Constitution would be updated (Clauses 20.1 and 20.2).
WAGGGS would work with each Region to design Mid‑Triennium Regional Conferences that reflect their context and priorities but still include elections.
More than one Regional Conference could be held per triennium.
If 4a is NOT approved AND 4b is approved
The Constitution would be updated (Clauses 14.2, 21.1, 21.5, 21.6).
Only one Regional Conference could be held per triennium, and it would always take place during World Conference. All Constitutional functions—including Regional Committee and Regional Chair elections—would happen at that event.
Regional Chairs would start their World Board term at the same time as Elected Trustees. This change would start in 2029. CurrentRegional Committee members would be asked (but not required) to extend their term to 2029.
Q. Can you share some of the risks you considered when proposing this change to election timings, and how you propose to mitigate them?
A. As with any change, we recognise there are both benefits and challenges. We believe some of the key can be managed thoughtfully, and we are committed to ongoing evaluation so we can learn, adapt and continue improving our approach over time.
Some of the main risks we identified, and how we plan to address them, are outlined below:
Preparing for several elections at one event could feel demanding, particularly for smaller delegations. To support this, we will ensure that there is more time for delegations to prepare and provide clear guidance and structured virtual opportunities for candidate engagement.
Having multiple elections at one event could make voting feel more complex or time‑consuming. We will mitigate this by carefully planning the schedule and ensuring the process is well resourced. We will also draw on our previous experiences of online and hybrid voting to keep things as smooth and efficient as possible.
There is a possibility that adding Regional Committee elections to the World Conference could affect the duration and/or cost. There are already many factors to consider when planning these governance events however, time is already allocated to Regional Gatherings within the current World Conference programme, so this is not entirely new. We remain committed to keeping any additional impact on cost or duration to a minimum.
We also recognise concerns that Mid‑Triennium Regional Conferences might lose some of their governance focus. We want to reassure Member Organisations that these conferences will remain strategic and relevant to each Region. We see this as an opportunity to strengthen their impact - creating more space to share good practice, have meaningful tow-day discussions and respond to the priorities and needs of each Region. They will still be spaces where Member Organisations can actively contribute to shaping WAGGGS’ future direction, which will be fed into Triennial Action Plans for each Region and the overall WAGGS Strategy which Member Organisations formally vote upon.