The World Service Conference (WSC) of Debtors Anonymous is the annual meeting of all worldwide General Service Representatives (GSR’s), Intergroup Service Representatives (ISR’s), and General Service Board (GSB) Trustees committed to providing service to Debtors Anonymous at the World Service Conference committee level in order to best advance the good of the Fellowship of Debtors Anonymous.

Here you can find information about upcoming World Service Conferences, a description of World Service Conference committees and caucuses, and past WSC reports with minutes, motions, and recommendations.

38th Annual World Service Conference of Debtors Anonymous

Brookstreet Hotel and Conference Centre, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
August 7-11, 2024

Registration for the full conference, meals, and hotel room bookings coming soon.

Flier about entry requirements for Canada

Frequently Asked Questions About Documentation Required to Enter Canada

The World Service Conference of Debtors Anonymous will be held from 7-11 August 2024 at the Brookstreet Hotel and Conference Centre in Kanata, Ontario (a suburb of the city of Ottawa).

Instructions for making hotel reservations at our negotiated rate

 will come in early 2024.

This is an advance notice to prepare your travel documents required to enter Canada and to answer some frequently asked questions.

*The instructions contained in the document have been prepared from information found on the Government of Canada websites (https://travel.gc.ca), and (https://ircc.canada.ca/english/visit/visas.asp) and from the Government of the United States of America website (http://cdp.gov) and are subject to change without notice. This information is provided as a courtesy for D.A. delegates.

  • Where is Ottawa?
      1. Ottawa is the Capital City of Canada and is located in the province of Ontario. The IATA airport code for Ottawa International Airport is YOW.  There are direct flights to Ottawa from several airports in Canada and the United States as well as some international flights from Europe. Customs clearance for direct international flights occurs upon arrival. Depending on your point of departure, you may need to connect in either Toronto or Montréal for an onward flight. If you connect in either of these cities you will need to clear Canada Customs at the connecting airport.The hotel is about 30 minutes from the Ottawa airport. If you are planning to drive, the Kanata area of Ottawa is approximately 91 kms (57 miles) from the Ogdensburg, New York border crossing. The hotel is approximately 5 hours driving time from the Toronto International Airport and 2.5 hours from the Montréal International Airport.
  • Do I need a passport, visa or Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) to enter Canada?
      1. Passports: Yes, all nationalities require a valid* passport to enter Canada and to return to your country of origin.  Most will require either a visa or an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA). This applies to land, sea and air travel arrivals and departures. (See # 3 below).  *Your passport should be valid for at least six (6) months from your Canadian departure date.
  • Visas: some foreign nationals will require a valid visa in addition to their passport. Visas must be issued in advance prior to departure from your country of origin.
    1. Electronic Travel Authorization(eTA): For foreign nationals who do not require a visa, an eTA is required (except for US citizens).
    2. All visitors arriving from or transiting through the U.S. are encouraged to visit the U.S. Customs and Border Protection website Note that some travellers transiting the USA en route to Canada may require a US visa.
  • Where do I get more information on passport, visa and eTA requirements to enter Canada?
      1. Visit the Government of Canada website here: https://ircc.canada.ca/english/visit/visas.asp
  • I require a visa to enter Canada. Where can I get an invitation letter to apply for the visa?
      1. First, you must be elected by your group to represent them at the World Service Conference. Then you can apply for a letter of invitation by emailing: 2024WSC@debtorsanonymous.org. Full payment of your registration fee will be required as proof of payment is required by the Government of Canada. This fee is refundable from D.A. should your visa application be denied. Any fees payable to the Government of Canada are not refundable. You can email us for more information required from you to obtain the letter of invitation and we are happy to assist you.
  • I require an eTA to enter Canada.  Where can I purchase that?

Canada does require an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) for several countries’ citizens who do not require a visa. These visa-exempt foreign nationals need an (eTA) to fly to or transit through Canada.

Canadian citizens, including dual citizens, and Canadian permanent residents do   not need to apply for an eTA.

There are some exceptions to the eTA requirement. These include:

  • U.S. citizens
  • U.S Lawful Permanent Residents
  • Travelers with a valid Canadian visa

Current information may be found here: eTA Eligibility to Enter Canada 

Be prepared: Apply for an eTA before you book your flight to Canada. Most applicants get approved within minutes. However, some applications can take several days to process so don’t wait until the last minute.

More information

NOTICE from the Government of Canada regarding FAKE WEBSITES:

Travellers who apply for an eTA are advised to be cautious in all dealings with companies that claim to offer help in getting an eTA. These companies are not operating on behalf of the Government of Canada. Many have established websites that charge a fee to provide information and submit eTA applications.

This Government of Canada website is the official place to apply for an Electronic Travel Applicationhttp://www.cic.gc.ca/english/visit/eta.asp

  1. What if I have a previous criminal conviction?

Information for those who may have entry issues due to past criminal history:

https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/immigrate-canada/inadmissibility/overcome-criminal-convictions.htm

https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/corporate/contact-ircc/offices/international-visa-offices.html

For general information members may also access https://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/menu-eng.html or contact the Border Information Service (BIS) at CBSA by calling:

Outside Canada
Long distance charges apply
1-204-983-3500
1-506-636-5064

Within Canada
Toll-free
1-800-461-9999
TTY (for those with hearing or speech impairments)
1-866-335-3237

Press “0” to speak to an officer during regular business hours – Monday to Friday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. (local time) excluding holidays.



Host the World Service Conference in your city!

The deadline for Intergroups to submit applications to host the WSC in 2026 is July 1, 2024.

Download WSC Host City Application Information


D.A. WORLD SERVICE CONFERENCES

World Service Conference Committees and Caucuses

Committee and Caucus Chairs: If you have D.A. world service-related information that you would like posted on this page or published in the DA Focus or the D.A. eNews, please email it to your GSB liaison.

Who can participate on a WSC Committee?

World Service Conference (WSC) committees are a formal extension of the Debtors Anonymous World Service Conference, the formal business meeting of the D.A. Fellowship. According to the Conference Charter, only registered delegates who attend the Conference have the right to vote at the Conference. Registered delegates (who attended the last WSC and served as members of a particular committee during the WSC) attend committee phone meetings throughout the remaining conference year as voting members of that committee.

On rare occasions, a committee may choose to invite a D.A. member who is not a member of the committee to serve as a valuable resource to the committee’s deliberations on an ad hoc basis because of his or her professional expertise or other special skills. For example, a committee might choose to invite a guest who has key information to help it with a project. Any such person would attend a meeting as a guest of the committee, without voting privileges, and should not participate in any other way as a committee member unless agreed to in advance by a vote of the committee. For example, a committee might vote to allow such person to attend a single meeting, but not others; or for only a portion of a meeting, etc. Any decision to invite a guest is made by a vote of the committee. The discussion and vote should be done before the potential guest is extended an invitation to join the committee and the potential guest should not be present for the committee’s discussion and vote about the guest’s presence.

Because the presence of guests may be distracting to some committee members or disruptive to a committee’s workflow, a committee should not invite a non-member to attend without advance notice and a unanimous vote to do so. If even one member objects, the committee, in the spirit of Unity, should respect and strongly consider this minority opinion in its deliberations.

D.A. members who wish to serve on a WSC committee are encouraged to do so through the normal process; become a GSR for your group or an ISR for your Intergroup. Since every group is autonomous and should be fully self-supporting through its own contributions, it is up to the group conscience to decide whether they will fully support their representative’s expenses to the WSC. John H. scholarship has supported many GSRs and ISRs to attend the WSC each year.

World Service Conference Committees

Business Debtors Anonymous (BDA) Committee

The BDA (Business Debtors Anonymous) Committee focuses on issues specific to the
needs of BDA meetings. BDA meetings are registered D.A. meetings that deal with topics of interest to D.A. members who own their own businesses, are otherwise self-employed, or desire to own their own businesses or be self-employed. The BDA Committee is open to all GSRs, not just those who represent BDA meetings. Current BDA issues revolve around the creation of BDA Literature and providing assistance to struggling BDA meetings. The 2007-08 BDA Committee is developing a book of BDA-related stories. To submit a story for the BDA book, please download and fill out the release form and email it with your story to office@debtorsanonymous.org.

Conference Committee (CC)

The Conference Committee is concerned with the general nature of the World Service Conference. This includes the Charter of the World Service Conference and its relationship to the General Service Board and membership of D.A. as a whole; issues related to the format of the annual World Service Conference of Debtors Anonymous; and aid to the WSC Host Committee in their planning and logistics. The Conference Committee also makes recommendations to the WSC for future conference sites.

Let the Conference Hear From You: Do you have an issue, concern, or question that you would like the next Conference to address? Please go to debtorsanonymous.org/inc to submit an Issues & Concerns.

Fellowship Communications Committee (FCC)

The Fellowship Communications Committee facilitates communication and promotes collaboration among the debtor who still suffers, the Debtors Anonymous membership, the World Service Conference Committees and Caucuses, the General Service Office, and the General Service Board, and oversees Sponsor-A-Group.

Hospitals, Institutions, and Prisons (HIP)

The Hospitals, Institutions and Prisons Committee is composed of GSRs, ISRs and Trustees who would like to focus service efforts on carrying the message of D.A. to debtors behind bars, in treatment centers, in hospitals and/or in other institutions.

Meeting update submit form (opens in a new tab)

International Committee (IC)

Created by action of the 2011 WSC, the International Committee’s mission is to exchange information and develop initiatives to support the growth of D.A. internationally.

Literature Committee (LIT)

D.A. Conference-approved literature begins with the Literature Committee.
Members participate in all levels of the literature creative process, including generating ideas for new D.A. literature, working closely with members of Literature Services, reviewing drafts of literature in process (given to them at the Conference by Literature Services), approving final drafts of D.A. literature, and bringing motions to approve draft of literature to Convocation to become Conference-Approved Literature.

Public Information Committee (PI)

The Public Information Committee interfaces with the media, helping professionals and the general public in person, on the telephone and through written information. The Public Information Committee has produced a Public Information Manual and created sample Public Service Announcements.

Resource Development Committee (RDC)

Revenue for D.A. is the focus of the Resource Development Committee, including:

  • Increasing 7th Tradition contributions and clarifying the use of 7th Tradition funds
  • Encouraging member participation in service at all levels
  • Increasing awareness about the concept of self-support in D.A. at the level of group, Intergroup and World Service

Technology Committee (TECH)

The Technology Committee is composed of delegates who have experience with and/or interest in leveraging technology to grow D.A. The Tech Committee focuses on harnessing technology to improve access to D.A.’s resources, facilitate communication within D.A. and reach out to the debtor who still suffers. The committee advises the Conference and the GSB, as well as providing hands-on technical expertise where applicable.

Underserved and Under-represented Outreach Committee (UUOC)

The mission of the Underserved and UnderRepresented Outreach Committee is to support the Fellowship in carrying the message of Debtors Anonymous to the debtor in underserved and underrepresented populations and locations. We coordinate with World Service Conference Committees and Caucuses by developing best practices for doing that work and sharing it with D.A. as a whole.

World Service Conference Caucuses

Intergroup Caucus (IG)

The Intergroup Caucus is composed primarily of ISRs but also includes GSRs and Trustees who have experience with their local Intergroups. The main function of this caucus is to create tools, resources and a better understanding of the role of an Intergroup in the overall organizational structure of D.A. The Intergroup Caucus helps support both new and existing Intergroups. The Intergroup Caucus also contributes to the efforts to regionalize D.A.

Link to list of Intergroups 

Spiritually Sustainable Earning Caucus (SSEC)

The Spiritually Sustainable Earning Caucus serves to support the D.A. Fellowship in gaining clarity around issues of earning in the D.A. program.  Our vision is to broaden the Fellowship-wide understanding of how spiritually sustainable earning fits into D.A. recovery, encouraging a comprehensive and spiritual approach by working the Twelve Steps and using the Tools of Debtors Anonymous.

World Service Conference Reports

This is a summary of the motions and recommendations presented by the GSB, WSC committees, and WSC caucuses at the annual D.A. World Service Conferences, beginning with the 1997 Conference through 2022, organized by year and by committee.

Past WSC Conference Reports

The following documents contain the full Conference minutes, as well as the GSB reports, committee, and caucus reports as well as past motions and recommendations. (These documents do not contain the contact information of WSC participants.)

Visit the Issues and Concerns webpage.