In connection with the beginning of the invasion of Ukraine, five countries – Ukraine itself, as well as Lithuania, Poland, Slovenia and – unexpectedly – Guatemala, which joined it, sent a request to the Council to terminate Russia’s membership in the UNWTO. The executive council of the organization supported the holding of an extraordinary General Assembly, which will decide on the suspension of Russia’s membership.
Officials respond diplomatically – “as you know, the Secretary-General has no authority over the UN World Tourism Organization, which is a specialized agency of the UN system. This could set a disastrous precedent for the functioning of the multilateral system,” Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for the UN Secretary-General, said in an interview with RIA.
It should be noted that currently the UNWTO includes 158 member countries, including Russia. The association positions itself as “an international organization responsible for the general accessibility of tourism and the long-term development of the tourism industry.”
It should be noted that the statutes of the association discuss the following: suspend the exercise of this member’s rights and privileges as a member of the Organization.”
Regarding Article 3, it states as follows: gender, language and religion. In pursuing this goal, the Organization will pay special attention to the interests of developing countries in the field of tourism.”