The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the UN agency responsible for promoting tourism around the world, announced today that it wants to suspend the participation of Russia, which is accused of not respecting the “values” of the UN with its invasion of Ukraine.
The decision to suspend Russia’s participation in the UNWTO was adopted by a large majority of the members of the Executive Board of the Organization, which met today at the request of six countries, including Poland and Ukraine, said a UNWTO representative.
In order for this suspension to take effect, it must be approved during an extraordinary General Assembly of the Organization, by a two-thirds majority. According to the representative of the Organization, this assembly will be convened “within the next 30 days”.
The UNWTO, which has been based in Madrid since 1976 and has 159 member states, has “strongly” condemned Russia’s actions in recent days, denouncing “a flagrant violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
“War is never a solution! Neither now nor ever. But it is clear that the whole world is not committed to this ideal,” Zurab Pololikashvili, UNWTO Secretary-General, insisted today, according to the statement.
The UNWTO message “must be clear and unambiguous,” he added. “If you are a member, you are committed to abiding by our rules. And you must embrace our values. Therefore, when members go against our goals, there must be consequences,” he added.
A message from Spanish Tourism Minister Reyes Marotto, who was present at the UNWTO Executive Board meeting: “We must also say ‘Stop the war’, ” Stop the threats. “We must rediscover the path of diplomacy and the peaceful settlement of disputes,” he said.
According to the UNWTO, since its inception the Organization has never met to “consider a request for suspension” of participation for one of its members.
Source: Capital
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