27 July 2012
UN OHRLLS Spring 2012 Newsletter Addresses Tourism in SIDS
story highlights

In an interview, Taleb Rifai, Secretary-General of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), stresses the need for national tourism strategies to be firmly grounded in the principles of sustainable development.

The newsletter also highlights the role of the UN Steering Committee for Tourism for Sustainable Development, which provides support to developing countries in strengthening the poverty reduction aspect of sustainable development.

July 2012: The UN Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States (OHRLLS) has released the 2012 Spring issue of “The Commitment” newsletter. This issue includes several articles relating to small island developing States (SIDS), including on tourism in SIDS being based on vulnerable marine and coastal resources, and the global significance of SIDS.

The article on SIDS’ tourism being largely centred on vulnerable coastal and marine resources includes an interview with Taleb Rifai, Secretary-General of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), in which he stresses the need for national tourism strategies to be grounded firmly in the principles of sustainable development. It also highlights the role of the UN Steering Committee for Tourism for Sustainable Development, which involves nine UN agencies and provides support to developing countries on sustainability and strengthening the poverty reduction aspect of sustainable development.

The article on the global significance of SIDS focuses on the need for increased international support to conserve the vulnerable ecosystems of SIDS. The article provides an overview of a meeting convened by OHRLLS at UN Headquarters in New York, in November 2011, which sought to contribute to the ongoing discussions of the UN General Assembly’s (UNGA) Second Committee on the sustainable development of SIDS. [Publication: The Commitment, Spring 2012] [IISD RS Story on OHRLLS Event]

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