UNWTO meeting to discuss General Assembly with Zurab but without Mzembi
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.”
Alain St. Ange appointed as Deputy Secretary General
The former minister of tourism for the Seychelles Alain St. Ange was one of the candidates for Secretary General of the UNWTO until his name was withdrawn by the Seychelles Government.
After all Mr. St. Ange was now appointed Deputy Secretary General of ‘Forum of Small Medium Economic AFRICA ASEAN’ (FORSEAA). FORSEAA is an intergovernmental forum founded by Seychelles and Indonesia with members from Africa and ASEAN countries, with its permanent secretariat in Jakarta, Indonesia.
FORSEAA will assist the SME of AFRICA and ASEAN to attain a new economy, by introduction of new markets, new partners, new technology, new innovation, new design and new approach of delivering the businesses directly to the consumer or in cooperation with FORSEAA affiliation partners.
FORSEAA will play an exciting role in harnessing the SME of AFRICA and ASEAN to wide range market from various parts of the world and to build alliances outside the region by expanding the market, enhancing design and branding, improving competitiveness, access to capital and advocacy of sovereign policy.
FORSEAA offers a one door networking of government, academic, business, finance, design, research and community all integrated thru an interactive database which become the power of social economy to create new market and its requirements.
One of the FORSEAA programs is to achieve small medium enterprises (SME) in Culture & Tourism by playing an active role in encouraging the host community to develop a compassionate destination based on the diversity of cultures within Indonesia. Specifically for small islands’ eco-tourism, FORSEAA will accelerate the cooperation between Africa and ASEAN countries, especially Seychelles and Indonesia, by pairing the brand image of Seychelles in the eco-marine tourism. I am working to see how we can assist the many small pristine islands in Indonesia to contribute economically to Seychelles.
St.Ange explained: “Specifically for small islands’ eco-tourism, FORSEAA will accelerate the cooperation between Africa and ASEAN countries, especially Seychelles and Indonesia, by pairing the brand image of Seychelles in the eco-marine tourism. I am working to see how we can assist the many small pristine islands in Indonesia to contribute economically to Seychelles.”