Region Nine Trustee Liaison Report

The Assembly will be held on Sunday 17th of May 2026 from 9:00 am – 5:00 pm UK time

Names, acronyms, and short forms have been removed or edited for consistency with OA Policy

*The virtual groups total is included in Total Number of Groups.

Region 9 Composition, Language Diversity, and Service Bodies 

Region 9 serves OA in Africa, Europe, the Middle East, and Western Asia, including all of Russia. It covers a multilingual and multicultural area of more than seventy million square kilometers from the Atlantic to the Pacific Oceans and the North Pole to South Africa, including more than one hundred countries. 

In Region 9 OA has a presence in more than forty countries with active service bodies, meetings, and/or OA members speaking more than forty languages: Afrikaans, Arabic, Catalan, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Estonian, Finnish, Flemish, French, Georgian, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Hungarian, Icelandic, Irish, Italian, Kazakh, Latvian, Lithuanian, Luxembourgish, North Macedonian, Maltese, Moravian, Norwegian, Persian (Farsi), Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Scottish, Sepedi, Serbian, Slovak, Slovenian, Spanish, Swahili, Swedish, Tamil, Turkish, Ukrainian, Yiddish, Welsh, and Zulu. 

There are thirteen national service boards, two language service boards, and fifty-four intergroups present in the following countries: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, England, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Iran, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Latvia, Morava, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Russia, Scotland, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, Wales, and Zimbabwe.

Since last year, Region 9 has grown with the addition of other countries: Morava, Kenya, Zimbabwe.

Region 9 is dedicated to expanding OA’s reach into countries within its area where OA does not yet exist, and especially to supporting isolated Turkish and Arabic speaking members—with help from Arabic-speaking Iranian members or Turkish expatriates.

While the number of groups is increasing, unfortunately there are still many groups that are not affiliated, even though there are service bodies in their countries. The reason for this condition remains unknown; what is certain is that these groups keep being isolated. 

Registered and unaffiliated meetings are in Austria, Bahrain, Belgium, Cyprus, Czech Republic, England, France, Germany, Gibraltar, India, Iran, Ireland, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Mauritius, Pakistan, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Scotland, Serbia, Spain, Sweden, Sweden, Switzerland, United Arab Emirates, and Wales. 

It seems incredible that members and groups still do not understand the importance and added value of affiliation. 

Region 9 Contacts, Support, and Events.

The Region 9 Trustee Liaison delivers comprehensive assistance to Region 9 groups and service bodies, addressing inquiries related to OA service structure, bylaw completion, and access to service materials such as logo and trademark approvals, policies, and the Service, Traditions, and Concepts Workshop. In addition, the Trustee Liaison handles general queries, clarifies translation procedures according to established standards, and emphasizes the significance of royalty payments.

Region 9 Liaison Activities 

Serving as the Region 9 Trustee Liaison has been an invaluable professional experience. Members of Region 9 consistently demonstrate a welcoming attitude in both in-person and virtual interactions. I remain accessible by phone, text, or email to address any questions or concerns, and prioritize prompt responses, as member satisfaction contributes to effective and trusted service. Frequently, members seek clarification regarding topics such as Traditions, abstinence, healthy body size, organizing virtual meetings, service structure, translation protocols, literature ordering, intergroup bylaws, and external matters. Each interaction enhances my understanding of both the membership and the Principles of OA. Additionally, I am regularly requested to facilitate workshops on translation, Service, Traditions, Concepts, effective service roles, OA’s Principles, and communication strategies, including conducting inventories when necessary. The numerous activities associated with this role reflect significant growth and engagement within the region.  

Board of Trustees Service

As Chair of the Living Abstinently Book Ad Hoc Committee, I have collaborated closely with fellow committee members to develop a new literary work. Additionally, I serve on the International Publications and Translations Committee as well as the E-commerce Ad Hoc Committee. I am grateful for the opportunities provided by the board and greatly value the knowledge gained through these roles.

While managing time zone differences presents challenges, maintaining an open mindset along with resilience and assertiveness facilitates smoother communication—particularly when difficulties or concerns are discussed transparently. It is an honor to contribute to a board that promotes dialogue, and I appreciate being involved in such an engaging environment. The full board meetings are consistently productive and stimulating.

This year, I also had the privilege of chairing the regional informal meetings, an experience for which I am deeply appreciative. I received tremendous support from the trustee liaisons, who demonstrated empathy and welcomed my initial inexperience. The meetings proceeded efficiently, and being addressed as “Madam Chair” underscored the responsibilities and trust associated with this role.

I would like to express my gratitude to the Region Nine Chair, Loudovika. It has been a pleasure to serve alongside her.  

Emilia I., Trustee Liaison to Region 9 

March 2026