Asia-Pacific Scout Region (World Organization of the Scout Movement)
| Asia-Pacific Scout Region | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Map of members or potential members of the Asia-Pacific Scout Region; the three countries with no Scouting organization, and those outside the Region, are in grey. | |||
| Owner | World Organization of the Scout Movement | ||
| Headquarters | Makati, Philippines | ||
| Location | Asia Pacific | ||
| Membership | 30 million | ||
| Asia-Pacific Regional Director | Jose Rizal Pangilinan | ||
| Asia-Pacific Region Scout Committee Chairman (2022–2024) | Dale Corvera | ||
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| Website https://www.scout.org/asia-pacific | |||
The Asia-Pacific Scout Region is one of the five regions of the World Organization of the Scout Movement, with a World Scout Bureau Regional Support Center based in Makati, Philippines. The Asia-Pacific Region services Scouting in the land area of Asia, from Russia, parts of Central Asia, and the bulk of the Pacific Basin, with the exception of the Federated States of Micronesia, the Marshall Islands and Palau, which are under the Interamerican Region by way of the Aloha Council of the Boy Scouts of America.
The Asia-Pacific Scout Region has witnessed the births and rebirths of national Scout organizations since the region was founded in 1969. Starting with ten founding members, it grew to 33 member countries as of 2024, encompassing 35 million Scouts. Eight of the 15 largest Scout associations in the world are in the Region.
For several years, communism and subsequent government repressed Scouting in Afghanistan, where it has returned last 2020, as well as in Mongolia, which had been the first Soviet satellite state since 1924. On the other hand, the World Scout Committee accepted in 2009 the declaration of Gerakan Pramuka Indonesia of having 17 million members for the census 2008. This has directly affected and changed the membership figure in the region, resulting in an increase of 9 million members, which now stands at a total of 24.7 million in 2009.
Widely separated by uneven resources, cultures, ethnic groups and technological resources, Scouting in the Asia-Pacific Region generally enjoys the respect of the public and by governments, a wide array of volunteers encompassing public and private sectors, and is powered by a small but committed group of professionals in the Scouting service.
The current Regional Chairman is Dale Corvera, serving the terms 2022–2025 while the current Regional Director is Jose Rizal Pangilinan. Both are from the Philippines. Hon. Corvera was elected by fellow Committee members to serve as chair following elections for the APR Regional Scout Committee held 16 Feb 2022. He replaced the outgoing Regional Chairman H. E. Ambassador Ahmad Rusdi of Indonesia. His tenure ends in 2025 and the Asia-Pacific Region Scout Committee will re-elect a new chair.
This region is the counterpart of the Asia Pacific Region of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS).