UNWTO, UNESCO Join Hands In Sustainable Tourism Promotion

UNWTO and UNESCO strengthen cooperation. Photo: UNESCO

UNWTO and the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) have forged a new cooperation agreement consolidating efforts on sustainable tourism and the protection of natural and cultural heritage.

A memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was recently signed by UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova and UNWTO Secretary-General Taleb Rifai, in the margins of the UN System Chief Executives Board for Coordination in New York.

The Agreement provides a framework for cooperation in a range of areas, including:

– The implementation of the UNESCO World Heritage and Sustainable Tourism Programme
– The development of transnational tourism initiatives to promote and protect the shared heritage of the Silk Roads Heritage Corridors
– The identification, development and networking of sustainable tourism initiatives and activities in biosphere reserves
– The promotion of sustainable tourism through United Nations partnerships and initiatives, such as the United Nations Steering Committee on Tourism for Development (SCTD) and the Global Partnership for Sustainable Tourism (GPST).

The MoU is the third agreement between UNESCO and UNWTO since 1979.

The renewed cooperation underlines the strength of a partnership that has existed for over three decades.