Ministers attending UNWTO General Assembly Face Suspicious Occurrences

The UNWTO Executive Council in Uzbekistan gave the green light yesterday to change the rules, so the Secretary-General could serve unlimited times. While this passed, more irregularities were surfacing. At this time only the full General Assembly will have the power to stop this.

New facts are emerging at the UNWTO General Assembly

The tourism community needs to know how important it is to not blindly endorse such a drastic move, allowing one man to serve unlimited terms leading this organization.

Tourism Ministers attending the General Assembly in Uzbekistan should equally understand that this move may very well destroy the credibility of this global institution in many key markets.

It is important that tourism ministers (UNWTO Delegates) attending the UNWTO General Assembly in Uzbekistan currently take a second look and consider the following new facts:

Mexico is a reason for great concern

1. A pressing legal concern has emerged. Notably, within the General Assembly’s agenda and documents, a new sub-item has surfaced, relating to the letters of support received by the current Secretary General.

Among the countries listed, some, notably MEXICO, have ratified the amendment concerning the limitation of the Secretary General’s mandate to two terms. This raises the troubling question: How can a country that previously ratified and integrated this amendment into its national law now consider retracting it? It appears that the current leadership in various nations may have acted without a thorough understanding of the implications, failing to consult the architects of the amendment. Some more letters were sent over the weekend.

Please implore the Member States to awaken to the gravity of the situation and to exercise prudence in their decision-making processes: Verify with the listed sources and consult your foreign affairs departments to ensure you fully comprehend the implications of your vote!!

A Deceptive Ploy at Play

2. There is a deceptive ploy at play – an attempt to confuse the Member States. A particular concern revolves around the letter received by Georgia, which diverges in its interpretation from that of Uzbekistan.

While the latter proposes a two-year extension before the incumbent’s term concludes, Georgia leans towards supporting Zurab Pololikashvili for the term of 2026-2029, suggesting a potential alteration to the resolution proposed by Spain.

Lack of Transparency and Fairness

This maneuver lacks transparency and fairness, as Member States are likely to be coerced into hasty decisions, particularly those without their head of delegation present at the crucial juncture of voting.

Suspicious Occurrences

Additionally, we have come across suspicious occurrences where documents suddenly surfaced on the XVI General Assembly’s webpage (the Assembly of the Notable Resolution), notably including the written opinion of the esteemed Alain Pellet (how much his opinion would be relevant!), the former legal counsel of the UNWTO.
This tactic appears calculated to sway discussions in favor of certain agendas, potentially circumventing comprehensive deliberations among member states and their authorities.

Leaders from Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and South America must recognize this plot

It is imperative that leaders from Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and South America recognize the repercussions of permitting such manipulative actions to persist.

They must be vigilant and mindful of the implications, both for their countries and their own political legacies. Zurab’s vested interests appear to supersede any concern for the collective welfare, making it abundantly clear that such self-serving individuals have no place in positions of influence.