What Conference Approved Means

“Conference-approved” is a publication designation with a specific meaning. G.S.O.’s official definition applies it to written or audiovisual material approved by the General Service Conference for publication by the General Service Office.

The official explanation says the process is intended to assure that the resulting publication represents solid A.A. experience, accords with A.A. principles, and deals with A.A.’s recovery program or information about the Fellowship.

The designation does not turn the Conference into an authority over an individual member’s reading. Official A.A. sources explicitly state that it does not imply disapproval of other material about A.A. A member, group, or local service office may encounter useful material that does not carry the mark.

Local central offices and intergroups may publish legitimate local literature that complements Conference-approved publications. G.S.O. also produces service material—including Guidelines, bulletins, and flyers—in response to identified service needs without every item passing through Conference Advisory Action.

Grapevine and La Viña require another distinction. The Conference recognizes them as A.A.’s international journals, but individual issues do not pass through the Conference-approval process because Grapevine appears twelve times a year and La Viña six times a year, while the Conference process can take years.