Come
May 2017, a new Secretary General of the United Nations World Tourism
Organisation [UNWTO] will be elected by member nations.
The
United Nations World Tourism Organization [UNWTO]is the specialised agency of
the United Nations [UN] in the field of tourism and it generates market
knowledge, promotes competitive and sustainable tourism policies and
instruments, fosters tourism education and training, and works to make tourism
an effective tool for development through technical assistance projects in over
100 countries around the world based in Madrid, Spain.
UNWTO’s
membership includes 157 countries, 6 territories and over 500 affiliate members
representing the private sector, educational institutions, tourism associations
and local tourism authorities. Its headquarters are located in Madrid.
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Over
the years, the UNWTO has struggles to speak for the entire world when it comes
to travel and tourism issues.
Surprisingly
non-members are: Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Belgium, Belize, Comoros,
Denmark, Dominica, Estonia, Finland, Grenada, Guyana, Iceland, Ireland,
Kiribati, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Marshall Islands, Micronesia,
Nauru, New Zealand, Palau, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent
and the Grenadines, Samoa, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Sudan,
Suriname, Sweden, Tonga, Tuvalu, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United
States of America.
As
the race for the post of Secretary General of the UNWTO enters its final
stages, and with seven aspiring candidates having announced their intention to
run for the post, recent weeks have seen the emergence of some rather
intriguing manoeuvres on the part of some of those candidates - all
designed, presumably, to enhance their respective election chances.
Perhaps
the most interesting development has been the emergence of an electoral
coupling between late-entrant Mrs Doh Young-shim of South Korea and the current
UNWTO Executive Director Carlos Voegler [of dual Spanish-Venezuelan
nationality].
If
Mrs Doh wins, she has apparently promised Voegler that she will revive the
position of Deputy Secretary General - a
function currently exercised, albeit nominally, by another Executive Director,
MarcioFavilla of Brazil, who has also entered the race for the UNWTO’s top job.
In
view of the aforementioned shenanigan, UNWTO insiders point out that
Voegler - who turns 65 this year - is
way past his sell-by date and is already living on borrowed time in the rarefied atmosphere which pervades the
upper floors of the Organisation’s Madrid headquarters.
His
electoral alliance with Doh represents something of a last-gasp attempt to
hang-in there, boosting his pension and further extending what many believe is
his already over-prolonged presence in those corridors.
Favilla
– another internal candidate was promoted in May, 2016, by the incumbent
Secretary General, Dr TalebRifai, to effectively deputise him and has made good
use of his elevation to quietly lobby support for his bid for the Secretary General-ship,
whilst leaving the formal declaration of his candidature until 19 January,
2017.
The
evident conflict of interest and unfair advantage handed to Favilla have not
gone down at all well within the corridors of the UNWTO itself or, of course,
with the other aspiring candidates who sense a whiff of déjà-vu as the
executive hierarchy manoeuvres to favour its own in the hope of pulling off yet
another internal, incestuous succession.
As
for Doh, a South Korean has been the Chairperson of the UNWTO- STEP
organisation since 2002.
Based
in Seoul, South Korea, STEP’s focus is the funding of tourism-based poverty
alleviation projects in UNWTO member states: a sort of development arm of the
mother organisation.
Interestingly,
and just to add to those increasingly in-breeding undertones of the
intensifying electoral race, the President of ST-EP is none other than Dr
Francesco Frangelli - himself a former Secretary General of the
UNWTO.
Naturally
- and perhaps a little unwisely - he has thrown his weight behind Doh.
Whereas
the ST-EP organisation has succeeded in implementing a range of what it terms
‘library’ projects in a number of countries, the general feeling - even
within the UNWTO Secretariat - is that ST-EP has failed to live up to
expectations, both of the mother body and, more importantly, of the 157 member
states themselves.
The
promised Korean funding therefor has simply not materialised and, given the
chaos which has now engulfed the body-politic in Seoul and which seems destined
to continue for some time, is unlikely ever to materialise.
The
manner in which ST-EP has been managed has also not been without controversy:
indeed, unhappy with the way in which its funding has been utilised, some
countries have suspended any further contributions towards ST-EP, prompting
suggestions that there may well be need for some form of forensic audit in
order to clear the air and renew confidence in the organisation.
Some
UNWTO watchers have expressed their surprise and even disappointment at Mrs
Doh’s entry into the race and interpret it as a means of diverting attention
away from the concerns, of some, about her management of ST-EP.
‘What
happens to ST-EP ‘? ‘Why is Doh running
away’? are pretty constant refrains
since her surprise announcement.
Others,
well-acquainted with ST-EP issues, are equally surprised about her leadership
aspirations given her distinct lack of diplomatic finesse [notwithstanding her
apparently self-appointed title of ‘Ambassador’] and her hectoring style of
engagement.
“The
contrast in management style and overall approach between Doh and the man she
seeks to replace, TalebRifai, could not be more marked, “commented one Secretariat
insider. “Taleb is smooth, tactful and a
consummate diplomat: Doh, is anything but tactful or diplomatic”.
At
a recent dinner to promote her candidature and to which all other candidates,
and others, were invited, Mrs Doh openly called for support from those countries
to which she had ‘given money’ by way of development projects under ST-EP
programmes.
Obviously
she learned little from the misfortunes of a fellow Korean who, some years
back, stood as a candidate against TalebRifai but had to withdraw from the race
when his ‘brown-envelope’ cash-for votes
approach was exposed.
To
UNWTO insiders, the prospects of a Doh-Voegler double-act and the only
marginally preferable but-oh-so-dull Favilla solo effort do not inspire at all.
“Succinctly
speaking, it’s depressing. Taleb deserves much better - but
, there again, he is the one who put these people in place”, confided one
long-time UNWTO staffer who did nothing for Africa or even the region he
represents; rather the photo sessions that he enjoyed with African leaders and
tourism aficionados.
“From
what we Africans or Africa witnessed under Telab, which this writer has
continuously criticised him for, none of other insider candidates can provide
the calibre of leadership required to build the UNWTO into what it can and
should be”.
Informed
rumblings from far-distant Addis Ababa, Headquarters of the African Union [AU],
indicate that questions are also being asked why Korea - which, through its
Korea-Africa Forum, provides a platform to build friendship and cooperation
between Korea and Africa - would now seek to undermine Africa’s chances
of landing the top UNWTO job, especially since another Korean national, Ban
Ki-moon, has just stepped down from a double mandate at the head of the mother
UN body itself.
Unfavourable
comparisons are being made between Korea and China, with African diplomats
praising China for supporting Africa in its quest for the UNWTO job whilst
criticising Seoul for challenging that quest.
True,
like Africa, Asia has never led the UNWTO, but Asians -
including Koreans - have had and continue to have a high profile
throughout other, significantly more mainstream UN and other international
agencies - including inter alia WHO, IAEA, UNESCO, etc.
‘New
blood’ candidates for the UNWTO include the youthful, charismatic Tourism
Minister from Zimbabwe, Walter Mzembi, who never fails to impress; Gloria
Guevara, the attractive, competent former Tourism Minister of Mexico; and the
taciturn, burly Alain St Ange - former Tourism Minister of the Seychelles who
controversially quit his job to enter the
UNWTO race months after his own country
- a member of the 15-nation
Southern African Development Community [SADC] and the 54-nation African Union [55
since Morocco re-joined the continental body some three weeks ago] - formally
endorsed Mzembi as Africa’s candidate for the top UNWTO post.
Besides
the naivety and greedy of Alain St Ange - former Tourism Minister of the
Seychelles, the position of African
Regional Representative at the UNWTO is occupied by ElciaGrandcourt, another
person from Seychelles.
The
question is, are there no other qualified person from Africa?
For
the Zimbabwean Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister, Dr Walter Mzembi and
Former Secretary for Tourism of Mexico, Ms Gloria Guevara Manzo
St
Ange has made no secret of his intention to enter the Presidential race in his
own country in two years’ time - which immediately casts serious doubt on the
sincerity of his purported commitment to the UNWTO and implies that, if elected
Secretary General, he would only serve for two years before standing down to
re-enter politics in his own country.
Already
under significant criticism from within Africa for its flagrant disregard of
both SADC and AU decisions - decisions made by African Heads of State and
Government and to which they [the Seychelles] were party - the
Seychelles risks yet further criticism by its endorsement of a candidate whose
motivation appears to focused more on himself than on service to the UNWTO.
The
race is still far from run. Other
candidates might yet emerge before the 11th March deadline. Existing candidates might yet withdraw or, like
Doh-Voegler, seek electoral couplings with each other in the hope of boosting
their chances.
At
the end of the day, however, this race is about the future of the UNWTO and the
pivotal role it must play in mainstreaming tourism, in all its many facets, at
the very core of the global development agenda.
Having
read all candidates’ Madrid campaign launch read or listened to the
‘vision-statements’ and contacts with UNWTO staffers and other insiders, it
seems obvious that Walter Mzembi stands pretty much alone : not only in terms
of his understanding of the industry and the challenges it faces; or his
measured, focused programme for addressing those challenges should he find his
way to the top floor of the UNWTO building; but equally, in terms of the passion,
commitment and energy that positively radiate from within as he articulates
that vision and that programme - primarily the need for the UNWTO to champion
more inclusiveness and greater equality in its quest for global tourism growth
and enhanced relevance within the broad UN family.
But,
as the election draws closer and as a means of broadening his already
considerable appeal, perhaps Minister Mzembi should give thought to a coupling
of his own. Ms Guevara, of Mexico - sharp,
business-savvy and the obvious answer to a glaring lack of gender-balance
within the upper-echelons of the UNWTO
- could well be his perfect
running-mate : and what a dynamic duo they would make.
The
Minister might well consider squaring this ‘electoral circle’ by also reaching
out to MarcioFavilla as a potential third running-mate -
ensuring that, when the election dust has settled, the Brazilian stays on and ensures a level of
administrative and operational continuity as the incoming Secretary General
sets about restructuring the Organisation to his or her liking,
Whereas
Favilla is widely regarded as a ‘nice guy’, his leadership aspirations are seen
as unrealistic and over-ambitious - certainly by many within the UNWTO
headquarters building who, of course, know him well.
An
approach by aMzembi-Guevara election alliance might actually be his best chance
of survival within the Organisation and certainly something which he should
consider; if ever such an approach were to be made.
The
origin of UNWTO stems back to 1920 when the International Congress of Official
Tourist Traffic Associations [ICOTT] was formed at The Hague. Some articles
from early volumes of the Annals of Tourism Research claimed that the UNWTO
originated from the International Union of Official Tourist Publicity
Organizations [IUOTPO], although the UNWTO states that the ICOTT became the
International Union of Official Tourist Publicity Organizations first in 1934.
Another
version have it that that the first International Congress of National Tourism
Bodies, meeting in London, decides to create a new international
non-governmental organization to replace the International Union of Official
Tourist Propaganda Organizations [IUOTPO], established in 1934.
By
On 27 September 1970, the IUOTO Special General Assembly meeting in Acapulco
Mexico adopts the Statutes of the World Tourism Organization [WTO].
From
1980 onwards, this day was declared as “World Tourism Day” based on the
proposal of a Nigerian Late Ignatius AmaduwaAtigbi [former Head of African Desk
at Reuters in London], who was then the Chairman of Africa Travel Commission.
Since
the body formerly became a specialised agency of the United Nations [UN] in the
field of travel and tourism in 2003 and who heads the agency has become so
political and competitive.
Previous
heads are, Robert Lonati, [French, 1975–1985], Willibald Pahr [Austrian, 1986–1989],
Antonio Enriquez Savignac [Mexican, 1990–1996], Francesco Frangialli [French, 1997–2009]
and TalebRifai [Jordanian 2010–till date].
Without
doubt, Dr. Walter Mzembi, current Zimbabwean Minister of Tourism and
Hospitality, Africa’s candidate is the best for the job because of his
experience, knowledge and friendship he has made in the last 10 years around
the world.
Finally,
South Africa, Kenya, Morocco and Seychelles must respect the African Union
decision and ensure Mzembi’s victory come May 2017.
By
Lucky Onoriode George
Publisher/Editor:
African Travel Times Magazine
Winner:
European Commission Lorenzo Natali Prize for Journalists Reporting Human Rights
and Democracy
Former
Publicity Secretary, Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria [FTAN]
Marketing
and Public Relations Expert on African Travel and Tourism
+2348033546608
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