The UNWTO Secretariat confirmed to WorldTourismWire the organization was holding a routine meeting on for all  Embassies and UNWTO Permanent Representatives based in Madrid to update them on a series of issues related to the Organization, including the upcoming UNWTO General Assembly. The meeting is scheduled for August 25, 2017.

The Secretary-General will brief participants on the activities of UNWTO and the agenda of the General Assembly.

This meeting may be everything else but routine. It is sensitive and would most likely include a discussion on Zimbabwe’s request to add two agenda items to the General Assembly program. The two items deal with alleged “flaws” in the election process and procedure resulting in an appointment of the Georgian Ambassador in Madrid Zurab Pololikashvili to become the next UNWTO Secretary General.

Insiders told WorldTourismWire they were concerned that none of the original candidates for Secretary General, including the Hon. Walter Mzembi who requested the agenda items to be added were invited. Zimbabwe does not have an embassy in Madrid.

UNWTO Secretary General nominee Zurab Pololikashvili will be one of the ambassadors attending the Augst 25 meeting in Madrid and naturally will be allowed to speak.

The same Madrid based embassies were among selected diplomatic missions Ambassador Zurab’s Georgian embassy provided football tickets to. The tickets were for a sold out half final game during the UNWTO  Executive Council Meeting in May. Tickets were given to ministers and voting delegates through their embassies after the Embassy of Georgia sponsored the tickets.

When WorldTourismWire asked readers 92% responded attending the football game as a voting delegate constitutes bribery.

Walter Mzembi’s comments: “They are trying to frustrate me ahead of the General Assembly.”