The Twelve Steps and Traditions are guides for personal growth and group unity. The Twelve Concepts are guides for service. They show how Twelfth Step work can be done on a broad scale and how members of the World Service Office can relate to each other and to the groups, through the World Service Conference, to spread Al-Anon's message worldwide.

• 1. The ultimate responsibility and authority for Al-Anon world services belongs to the Al-Anon groups.
• 2. The Al-Anon Family Groups have delegated complete administrative and operational authority to their Conference and its service arms.
• 3. The right of decision makes effective leadership possible.
• 4. Participation is the key to harmony.
• 5. The rights of appeal and petition protect minorities and insure that they be heard.
• 6. The Conference acknowledges the primary administrative responsibility of the Trustees.
• 7. The Trustees have legal rights while the rights of the Conference are traditional.
• 8. The Board of Trustees delegates full authority for routine management of Al-Anon Headquarters to its executive committees.
• 9. Good personal leadership at all service levels is a necessity. In the field of world service the Board of Trustees assumes the primary leadership.
• 10. Service responsibility is balanced by carefully defined service authority and double-headed management is avoided.
• 11. The World Service Office is composed of selected committees, executives and staff members.
• 12. The spiritual foundation for Al-Anon's world services is contained in the General Warranties of the Conference, Article 12 of the Charter.

The General Warranties:
In all proceedings the World Service Conference of Al-Anon shall observe the spirit of the Traditions:

1. that only sufficient operating funds, including an ample reserve, be its prudent financial principle;
2. that no Conference member shall be placed in unqualified authority over other members;
3. that all decisions be reached by discussion vote and whenever possible by unanimity;
4. that no Conference action ever be personally punitive or an incitement to public controversy;
5. that though the Conference serves Al-Anon it shall never perform any act of government; and that like the fellowship of Al-Anon Family Groups which it serves, it shall always remain democratic in thought and action.

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