UNWTO executive council elects the right person for SG post

Sources from Bamako, Mali, where the ongoing executive council meeting of the United Nations World Tourism Organization is being held, have confirmed that Jordan’s Taleb Rifai has been selected to become the UNWTO secretary-general for the Period 2010-2013.

“The 85th session of the UNWTO executive council, meeting in Mali, recommends Taleb Rifai for the post as secretary-general for the four-year-period starting January 2010, UNWTO said in its website.

The candidature of Mr. Rifai (Jordan) was supported by the UNWTO executive council, in accordance with the UNWTO statutes.

UNWTO added, the recommendation will be presented for ratification by the UNWTO general assembly, meeting the first week of October in Astana, Kazajstan.

When ratified for the secretary general post, Rifai will be taking with him his experience as the UNWTO deputy secretary general from February 2006 to February 2009 as well as UNWTO interim ad secretary general from March 2009 to December 2009.

Also, he has an extensive background in international and national public service, the private sector and academia. Prior to joining UNWTO he was the assistant director general of the International Labor Organization (ILO). He has also served as Jordan’s minister of planning and international cooperation, minister of information and minister of tourism and antiquity.