ECOSOC RECOMMENDS MAKING WORLD TOURISM ORGANIZATION SPECIALIZED AGENCY OF UNITED NATIONS

ECOSOC RECOMMENDS MAKING WORLD TOURISM ORGANIZATION

SPECIALIZED AGENCY OF UNITED NATIONS

Considers Economic and Environmental Questions, Including International

Cooperation in Tax Matters and Status of International Civil Defence Organization

(Reissued as received.)

GENEVA, 10 July (UN Information Service) -- The Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) this morning adopted a resolution in which it recommended to the General Assembly that the World Tourism Organization become a specialized agency of the United Nations.

ECOSOC's resolution included an agreement between the United Nations and the World Tourism Organization, by which it recommended to the General Assembly that it should approve at its fifty-eighth session the text of the draft agreement negotiated by the Council’s Committee on Negotiations with Intergovernmental Agencies and the World Tourism Organization Committee on the Negotiations for the conversion of the organization into a specialized agency.

After the adoption of the resolution, Francesco Frangialli, Secretary-General of the World Tourism Organization, expressed his organization’s gratitude and deep appreciation for the decision of the Council.  The next step for the World Tourism Organization would be to conduct parallel negotiations with the General Assembly, and within a few months, he hoped that the first new specialized agency since 1985 would be admitted.

Also this morning, ECOSOC considered economic and environment questions, including international cooperation in tax matters, and a request for the conversion of the International Civil Defence Organization.  The Council took note of a report of the Governing Council of the United Nations Environment Programme on its twenty-second session (document A/58/25).  It was also informed that the eleventh meeting of the Ad Hoc Group of Experts on International Cooperation in Tax Matter had been rescheduled to meet in Geneva from 10 November to 14 November.  A report of the meeting would be transmitted at a later date and no action could, therefore, be taken during the substantive session of ECOSOC.  Concerning the request for the conversion of the International Civil Defence Organization into a specialized agency of the United Nations, the Council recalled that action on this issue had been deferred to a later date.

Addressing ECOSOC this morning were representatives of the United States, Andorra, Morocco (on behalf of the "Group of 77" developing countries and China), Italy (on behalf of the European Union), Turkey, Ethiopia, and Guatemala.

ECOSOC will meet in private this afternoon for informal consultations.  It will meet in public at 10 a.m. on Friday, 11 July, to start its consideration of its humanitarian affairs segment including special economic, humanitarian and disaster relief assistance.

Documents

Under its agenda item on economic and environmental questions, the Economic and Social Council has before it a report of the Secretary-General on the Work of the Committee of Experts on the Transport of Dangerous Goods and on the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (E/2003/46).  The report concerns the work of the Committee of Experts during the biennium 2001-2002.  The Committee adopted amendments to the Model Regulations and to the Manual of Tests and Criteria, consisting mainly of new or revised provisions on, amongst other things, the transport of gases in cryogenic receptacles, infectious substance and genetically modified micro-organisms.  Following the events of 11 September, the Committee has also developed and adopted new security provisions for inclusion in the Model Regulations.  The report also states that the Committee is recommending a draft resolution on its work for adoption by the Economic and Social Council.

There is a report of the Committee on Negotiations with Intergovernmental Agencies (E/2003/60), containing an agreement between the United Nations and the World Tourism Organization.  Amongst other things, it contains sections on recognition, coordination and cooperation, reciprocal representation, recommendations of the United Nations, assistance to the United Nations, exchange of information, public information, statistical services and administrative cooperation.

Action on Resolution

The Economic and Social Council adopted a resolution on an Agreement between the United Nations and the World Tourism Organization (E/2003/L.19), by which it recommended to the General Assembly that it should approve at its fifty-eighth session the text of the draft agreement negotiated by the Council’s Committee on Negotiations with Intergovernmental Agencies and the World Tourism Organization Committee on the Negotiations for the conversion of the organization into a specialized agency, in accordance with Article 57 and paragraph 1 of Article 63 of the Charter of the United Nations.

Statements

MARCO BALAREZO, Chairman of the Committee on Negotiations with Intergovernmental Agencies, introduced the draft resolution on the World Tourism Organization, saying that after extensive meetings between the relevant negotiation committees of the Economic and Social Council and the World Tourism Organization, which had also included the participation of a legal adviser from the United Nations, the approval of the draft agreement had been recommended.  This agreement would be important for the future of the World Tourism Organization and for the work of the United Nations in a critical area.  Tourism was an area of economic, social and environmental importance to many countries.  As a specialized agency, the World Tourism Organization would be able to work more closely with the United Nations system as a whole.  Tourism could become one of the substantive areas of the Council’s work and could also provide the subject for a future high-level segment.

After the adoption of the resolution, the representative of the United States stressed that she had been happy to join consensus on the resolution on the understanding that the World Tourism Organization would continue to finance its operations as before and that there would be no additional cost to the United Nations.

A representative of Andorra welcomed the adoption of the resolution.

A representative of Morocco, speaking on behalf the Group of 77 and China, thanked the Chairperson for the important negotiations and the efforts he had made to ensure the outcome of the resolution.  The Group of 77 and China wished a warm welcome to the World Tourism Organization into the United Nations family.

A representative of Italy, speaking on behalf of the European Union, said the European Union welcomed the conversion of the World Tourism Organization into a specialized agency of the United Nations.  This transformation was a remarkable achievement.  The European Union already cooperated effectively with the World Tourism Organization on issues such as human trafficking.  Tourism was driven by investment of the private sector and could create jobs and long-term sustainable development.  The European Union also realized that factors such as terrorism and communicable diseases could adversely affect tourism.  The European Union looked forward to address such issues with the World Tourism Organization.

FRANCESCO FRANGIALLI, Secretary-General of the World Tourism Organization, expressed his organization’s thanks, gratitude and deep appreciation for the decision of the Council.  He also extended special thanks to Peru and the negotiation committees.  The next step for the World Tourism Organization would be to conduct parallel negotiations with the General Assembly and within a few months the first, new specialized agency of United Nations since 1985 would be admitted.

Reviewing the history of tourism, he recalled that the International Union of Official Travel Organizations had been established as a non-governmental organization and figured as the direct predecessor of the World Tourism Organization.  Tourism had been recognized as a source of economic growth by both developed and developing countries; and in 1963, the United Nations had recognized the importance of tourism by holding an international conference in Rome on the issue.  The United Nations had also declared 1967 as the international year of tourism.  In 1970, an extraordinary congress of the International Union of Official Travel Organizations had voted to convert itself into an intergovernmental organization, the World Tourism Organization.

As an official intergovernmental organization, he added, the World Tourism Organization had remained open to partnerships with non-governmental sectors.  Over the years, the World Tourism Organization had become modernized and had seen its membership increase.  The members of the World Tourism Organization had requested him to express their satisfaction with the present agreement and to call for the maintenance of close and constant cooperation among the different organizations and agencies of the United Nations system.  In conclusion, he drew attention to a paradox:  the consequences of this agreement were limited in the immediate term, but it would have significant future influence.  And while there was no material implementation for the United Nations itself, the benefit of this agreement would be found in increasing the significance of the World Tourism Organization and its work.

A representative of Turkey said he agreed with the statement of the European Union and that he welcomed the decision of the Economic and Social Council.

A representative of Morocco said that the history of tourism had started centuries before the date mentioned by the Secretary-General of the World Tourism.  The concept of tourism was global.

A representative of Ethiopia congratulated the Secretary-General of the World Tourism Organization.  Tourism was an important vehicle in a number of areas, including in development.  It was important that the organization played an important role in issues of environment and cultural heritage, allowing it to become a vehicle of understanding.  Terrorism must not stop the enjoyment of travelling he said, and stressed the impact that travel bans had on developing countries.

GERT ROSENTHAL, President of the Economic and Social Council, added his voice to the congratulations to the World Tourism Organization.  He looked forward to the General Assembly's session.

PATRIZIO CIVILI, Assistant Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, also added his voice to the congratulations.  A welcomed consequence of the approval of the General Assembly would be the further participation of the World Tourism Organization in the work of the Department of the Economic and Social Affairs, he said.

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