CAIRO: The activities of the 43rd World Scout Conference kicked off in Cairo on Saturday with the participation of Kuwaiti high-level delegations and representatives of international bodies, in addition to 176 national scout organizations. The Kuwaiti delegation is led by the Chairman of the Scout Arabic Committee and the President of the Kuwait Scout Association, Dr Abdullah Al-Turaiji.

International Commissioner of Egyptian Scouts Mohamed Omar stressed in his speech during the opening session that hosting the conference, which closes on August 23, “allows us to shed light on the scouts’ rich cultural heritage and our values of peace, solidarity and leadership.”

“It is an opportunity for Egyptian Scouts to contribute to the global dialogue on how scouting can continue to empower the next generation,” Omar, who is the executive director of the council, added.

Secretary-General of the World Scout Movement Ahmed Al-Hindawi, said in his speech that the movement’s mission “as the world’s leading movement in the field of youth education is the most important at the moment.” The conference addresses a range of important topics including peace, sustainability, youth leadership, human rights and non-formal education and aims to inspire the leadership of national scout organizations through keynote talks and workshop sessions.

The conference is attended by UN bodies and a number of other international organizations, including the World Health Organization, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, the United Nations Environment Program, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies Kuwait. — KUNA