IMPORTANT INFORMATION

On arrival, participants will be met at the airport by volunteers from Cyprus Girl Guides Association (CGGA). They will ensure assistance with transfers from the airport for all participants. Please make sure that you are wearing a scarf so that CGGA can easily identify you. On departure, participants will be transferred from their hotels to the airport. Travellers should generally be at the airport two hours ahead of flight departure time. You will have entered your arrival and departure times on the Travel Information form. Please send an email to CGGA 38wagggscy@gmail.com if there are any changes to this.

Please remember to bring your devices fully charged to Conference each day

Cyprus currency is the Euro and this will be the only currency used at Conference. ATMs to withdraw money are not close to the venue. You must bring Euro with you, or exchange money when you arrive at the airport.

Please note the venue does not allow any materials to be attached to walls during Conference. During the International Night and World Market each Member Organisation will be provided with a table (c. 180cm x 80cm).

Throughout the Conference, please feel free to wear a Guiding or Scouting uniform that is comfortable and appropriate for the activities of the day. On each day of the programme, you will see a suggested dress code. Specific requirements: You must arrive at the airport wearing a Guide / Scout scarf. Formal uniform should be worn at the Opening Ceremony (Wednesday 26 July) and the Cyprus Evening (Thursday 27 July). On Friday 28 July we will celebrate the World Centres so please wear a World Centres t-shirt or scarf, if you have one. Remember to bring your national dress or costume for International Night on Saturday 29 July. You must wear a Guide / Scout scarf to enter the Closing Ceremony (Monday 31 July).

There will be an ambulance available at the venue during the days of the Conference, and all our social events.

Voting at Conference will use an online platform. During the orientation session, we will do a test vote for all Head Delegates to make sure they are comfortable using this system. If you have any difficulties, please raise this with a member of the Procedural Team in advance of the voting sessions.

During Conference we will have an Information Desk open each day to answer any questions that might come up during your time in Cyprus.

Please note that the conference follows strict sustainability guidelines to have a minimum possible footprint. The Girl Guides Association of Cyprus is overviewing all decisions taken regarding the organization of the conference in terms of venue, accommodation and events and is making sure that all special needs and requirements (e.g. mobility, food ect) are taken care of on behalf of the participants. To achieve our goal, we need your collaboration as well. Remember to: Use windows where possible to allow in natural light and ventilation (if the weather permits it), use public transport or alternative means of transportation like walking or using bikes ( if the weather permits it- your HEALTH comes first!), keep your waste to a minimum, separate your waste using the designated bins, use electronic means of communication between you to reduce the use of paper, use supplies made of recycled or renewable materials, minimize the use of packaging where relevant, bring your own water bottles, say no to plastic water bottles, straws, bags and coffee cups.

Get Ready to celebrate! Join the World Centres for an international showcase celebrating our global Movement, its diversity, and the friendships it is built on.

International Night is a unique opportunity to come together and celebrate, so we invite all our guests to wear their national dress and join us for an evening of learning, sharing, networking, and making new and lasting connections. You’ll also have the chance to share cultural performances, including songs and dances

As part of International Night, we’re excited to bring back the popular World Market. This is your chance to showcase your country’s culture and Girl Guiding and Girl Scouting while immersing yourself in the cultures of other communities from around the world. Your Member Organisation will be provided with a table in the World Market where you can:

-Sell: arts and crafts and any Girl Guiding / Girl Scouting merchandise from your country (we do not recommend bringing perishable food items to the World Market)

-Showcase: your culture and Girl Guiding and Girl Scouting in your country

-Share: international experiences that your country has engaged with or that you are interested in pursuing (for example, international camps, twinning programmes, and World Centre experiences)

Items are purchased using WAGGGSIES which are bought in advance from the WAGGGS Shop at Conference. 1 WAGGGSIE costs 1 Euro. Member Organisations can use the funds raised at the World Market to pay for their own Membership Fee (or another’s) or to contribute to the World Thinking Day Fund.

We look forward to welcoming you all to International Night!

All plenary Conference sessions will be interpreted. You will need to collect interpretation headsets on entering plenary and they must be returned before you leave. Please note, WAGGGS may ask you to cover the cost of a lost or damaged headset.

You will need your Conference lanyard at all times. You may not be allowed to enter the Conference venue without your lanyard.

A Lost & Found box will be available at the Information Desk.

A Welcome Drink and dinner will be provided on Wednesday 26 July. All lunches, dinners and coffee breaks will be provided during the Conference from 27-31 July 2023 except for dinner on 28 and 30 July 2023. Please note each participant is responsible for their own breakfast. Breakfast may be included in your accommodation price, please confirm with your hotel.

Please bring an adequate supply of any medication you are taking or that you might need.

If your Member Organisation would like to pay your Membership Fee at Conference, you will be able to do this at the Information Desk. Member Organisations may also raise funds during International Night to put towards a Membership Fee (your own or another country). As the currency of the Conference is Euros, we will be able to advise all Membership Fees in Euros to enable payment on site.

If you want to buy a Sim card, we recommend you use Cyta, Epic, Primetel or Cablenet network. You can buy these at the airport

For Cyprus there is one associated plug type G. Plug type G is the plug which has two flat parallel pins and a grounding pin. Cyprus operates on a 230V supply voltage and 50Hz.

Printing will not be available since we want to be as sustainable as possible.

The Procedural Team will be available throughout Conference to answer any questions you may have on procedural matters or motions. You can contact the Procedural Team at proceduralteam@wagggs.org before, and during, Conference

The Listening Ears volunteers will be the first point of contact for attendees for any safeguarding and wellbeing concerns. They will provide a welcoming, confidential, safe, brave, and non-judgmental environment for anyone who wishes to seek help proactively on behalf of themselves or others. WAGGGS’ Deputy Chief Executive, Guy Holloway, is the Designated Safeguarding Lead during Conference and can be contacted at Guy.Holloway@wagggs.org

We have a volunteer Service Team to help with anything you might need. Their members will be easily identifiable and will wear name tags. They’re there to help you throughout the Conference!

Any stock you would like from the WAGGGS online shop needs to be pre-ordered and pre-paid and will then be available for collection at Conference. Please follow these steps: Select the items you would like through the WAGGGS online shop https://www.wagggs-shop.org/ Add them to your basket Put your delivery address as the World Bureau UK Pay for your items at checkout using a credit or debit card. A member of staff will bring your items to the World Conference where you can collect your pre-order Any pre-orders need to be placed before 30 June 2023. There will be a shop at World Conference with World Conference merchandise created and managed by GGAC.

Registration will be done at the Conference Information Desk. You must register to receive your Conference lanyard before you can attend any World Conference events.

Transport from hotels to the venue will only be provided for those who require special assistance, as notified on the registration form. Please allow sufficient time to walk from your hotel to the venue. The Service Team will offer an escorted service from the main hotels to the venue. We have planned the programme to ensure that you only need to travel from your hotel to the venue and back once per day.

All participants must be insured when travelling to WAGGGS events. You may like to check that your policy includes cover for Covid-19. Please make sure you have all relevant information regarding your travel insurance prior to travelling.

If you have a problem, please send an email to the Conference Planning Team at woco@wagggs.org This is monitored on a daily basis. For urgent issues during Conference, please message or telephone WhatsApp +44 7825 107 893 In emergencies, please call the Police, Fire Brigade and Ambulance Services on 112 or 199.

All participants are responsible for having all vaccinations necessary for international travel. Countries in which Yellow Fever is present will be asked for an international certificate of vaccination upon arrival. Covid-19 restrictions have been lifted in Cyprus (hospitals do still require a Covid-19 test). However, we will provide Covid-19 self tests and masks, as required. We also encourage everyone to practise good hygiene to minimise risks.

Given the warmth of Cyprus, we suggest you drink lots of water throughout the Conference. Tap water is safe to drink so feel free to fill up your own reusable water bottle

During the conference week the temperatures will be between 30ºC and 40ºC. Please remember to bring suncream, sun hat and a reusable water bottle. It will mainly be sunny and hot, but we recommend you bring a raincoat or umbrella in case the weather changes.

In line with our Safeguarding Policy, WAGGGS will ensure that the 38th World Conference is a safe and inclusive space for everyone to participate. Our policy specifically cares for girls and young women up to the age of thirty:

• to provide a safe and supportive environment;
• to promote meaningful participation in WAGGGS work
• to prevent any harm or abuse as a result of WAGGGS activities
• to respond effectively to concerns if and when they arise.

The above will be implemented at the World Conference including but not limited to the following activities: a robust risk assessment process; training and support for volunteers; specific guidance for safeguarding at international events; a Designated Safeguarding Lead on site and additional support where risks are identified.

All staff and volunteers are expected to raise any concerns about the safety or welfare of participants during the conference with the Designated Safeguarding Lead, line manager or emergency staff contact (for volunteers) as soon as possible.

If, as an attendee, you suspect a safeguarding concern please report it to  safeguarding@wagggs.org.

WAGGGS Safeguarding Policy can be found in our four official languages:

The World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) is a data controller registered with the UK Information Commissioner’s Office (registration number: Z092177).

Keeping your personal information safe is very important to us. We are committed to complying with privacy and data protection laws and being transparent about how we use personal data. You can learn more about how we use your personal information here.

We have a nominated member of staff who serves as our Data Protection Lead. If you have any questions regarding our Privacy Policy, please email woco@wagggs.org.