Uganda has regained her full membership status to the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) after meeting the subscription obligations.
The reinstatement came Wednesday 18th October 2023 during the 25th UNWTO General Assembly which is underway in Samarkand, Uzbekistan running from 16th to 20th October 2023.
This is contained in the Draft Resolution (1) on the Action by The General Assembly, having examined the report transmitted by the Secretary-General containing updated information on the Members falling under the provisions of Article 34 of the Statutes and/or Paragraph 13 of the Financing Rules attached to the Statutes.
“The General Assembly ratifies and grants temporary exemption from the provisions of Paragraph 13 of the Financing Rules attached to the Statutes and Article 34 of the Statutes to the Full Members Iraq, Kyrgyzstan and Uganda as endorsed by the Executive Council at its 116th, 117th and 118th sessions, respectively,” the draft resolution reads in part.
A delegation of officials from the Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities (MTWA) led by the Hon. Mugarra Martin Bahinduka, State Minister for Tourism, Mr. Kakula-Khirome Samuel the Undersecretary, Ambassador Amule Doreen and Ambassador Otiti Catherine from the Ugandan Embassy in France, Mr. Lyazi Vivian Commissioner Tourism Development and Ssali Gadafi Senior Tourism Officer witnessed the event.
UNTWO is a United Nations agency responsible for the promotion of responsible, sustainable and universally accessible tourism. It has 159 Member States, 6 Associate Members, 2 Observers and over 500 Affiliate Members.
According to Hon. Mugarra, the reinstatement is timely “as it enables Uganda to benefit from the opportunities of the organization’s membership and participate in the global tourism policy discussion and direction.”
Speaking about the assembly, UNWTO Secretary-General, Zurab Pololikashvili stressed the importance of this Assembly as a collective effort for all Members to advance common priorities for the future of tourism: investments and education.
The President of Uzbekistan (the host state), Shavkat Mirziyoyev, pledged his full support to the active efforts of UNWTO to dynamically develop tourism in all regions of the world and turn it into one of the drivers of the world economy.
Aside from the Plenary Sessions and many other engagements, the General Assembly is hosting two thematic forums – on education and on investments – in line with the Organization’s core priorities.
As the leading international organization in the field of tourism, UNWTO promotes tourism as a driver of economic growth, inclusive development and environmental sustainability and offers leadership and support to the sector in advancing knowledge and tourism policies worldwide.
UNTWO’s core priorities include among others; Mainstreaming tourism in the global agenda, Promoting sustainable tourism development, Fostering knowledge, education and capacity building, Improving tourism competitiveness, Advancing tourism’s contribution to poverty reduction and development and Building partnerships.