UNED-UK's Suggested Amendments

to the Report of the Inter-Sessional Ad Hoc Working Group on Sustainable Tourism: B. Possible Elements for a Draft Decision by the 7th Session of the CSD

The following suggested amendments are drawn from

the work of UNED-UK's Gender & Tourism Project Team and its Advisory Board: Project on Women's Employment and Participation in Tourism ("Gender & Tourism: Women's Employment and Participation in Tourism");

the CSD NGO Tourism Caucus at the CSD Intersessional Ad Hoc Eorking Group Meeting in February 1999: NGO Paper on Tourism (23 Feb), The REAL Elements for a Draft Decision (25 Feb), NGO Comments on the Possible Elements for a Draft Decision (26 Feb).

(Suggested Amendments in CAPITALS)

The Commission on Sustainable Development,

Recalling the outcome of the Nineteenth Special Session of the General Assembly for the Overall Review and Appraisal of the Implementation of Agenda 21, which requested the Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) to develop an action-oriented international programme of work on sustainable tourism, to be defined in cooperation with the World Tourism Organization (OMT/WTO), UNCTAD, UNEP, the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and other relevant bodies; and that the Assembly stressed that policy development and implementation should take place in cooperation with all interested parties, especially with the private sector and local and indigenous communities (A/S-19/29 para. 69),

Recalling also that the United Nations has proclaimed 2002 as the International Year of Ecotourism and the International Year of Mountains,

1. Decides to adopt an international work programme on sustainable tourism development, containing the elements outlined below, to be implemented in the period between the Commission's seventh session and 2002 when the ten-year review of progress achieved since UNCED will be carried out;

2. Calls upon governments to advance sustainable tourism development, inter alia through development and implementation of policies and national strategies or master plans for sustainable tourism development based on Agenda 21, which INVOLVE THE ACTIVE PARTICIPATION OF ALL STAKEHOLDERS IN PLANNING, DECISION MAKING, IMPLEMENTATION AND MONITORING OF TOURISM DEVELOPMENT, AND WHICH WILL [DELETE: will encourage their tourism industry], assist in attracting foreign direct investment (FDI) WHICH MAXIMISES DOMESTIC EARNINGS AND MINIMISES FINANCIAL LEAKAGES, and appropriate environmentally sound technologies, and also provide focus and direction to all stakeholders, including National Tourism Councils, the private sector as well as local and indigenous communities;

2. (bis) URGES GOVERNMENTS TO CONSIDER THE ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL AND CULTURAL FEASIBILITY OF TOURISM, INCLUDING ASSESSING THE CARRYING CAPACITY OF TOURISM DESTINATIONS, BEFORE DEVELOPING TOURISM PROGRAMMES AS PART OF THEIR NATIONAL SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES FOR THE 2002 REVIEW, ESPECIALLY AS THIS RELATES TO LOCAL COMMUNITIES AND INDIGENOUS PEOPLES. THERE IS A PARTICULAR NEED TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE HETEROGENOUS NATURE OF LOCAL COMMUNITIES, EG THE DIFFERENT IMPACTS AND BENEFITS OF TOURISM DEVELOPMENT FOR WOMEN AND MEN;

2. (ter) CALLS UPON GOVERNMENTS TO PROVIDE LEGAL FRAMEWORKS TO SAFEGUARD HUMAN RIGHTS IN TOURISM PARTICULARLY WITH REGARD TO COMBATTING SEX TOURISM, CHILD PROSTITUTION, TRAFFICKING OF WOMEN AND CHILDREN AND EXPLOITATIVE FORMS OF CHILD LABOUR BY INTRODUCING AND ENFORCING LEGISLATION AND EFFECTIVE CONTROL MECHANISMS, AND TO ADOPT A GLOBAL CODE OF ETHICS FOR TOURISM AND ENSURE ITS IMPLEMENTATION AND MONITORING BY ALL STAKEHOLDERS;

3. (quarter) CALLS UPON GOVERNMENTS TO ENSURE THAT ALL TOURISM PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT TAKES INTO ACCOUNT THE NEED TO PREVENT HUMAN ILLNESS, INCLUDING HIV/AIDS, MALARIA AND DENGUE, AND TO ADOPT A PRECAUTIONARY APPROACH, BY ENSURING PERMANENT ACCESS TO SAFE DRINKING WATER, SANITATION AND PROPER WASTE DISPOSAL FOR ALL COMMUNITIES WHERE TOURISM IS DEVELOPED;

3. Encourages governments to promote a favourable framework WITHIN THEIR NATIONAL SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), the main engine for job creation in the tourism sector, by reducing administrative burdens, improving access to capital and providing training in management and other skills;

3. (bis) ENCOURAGES ALL COUNTRIES TO RATIFY AND IMPLEMENT THE INTERNATIONAL LABOUR ORGANISATIONS CONVENTIONS 1, 14, 132, 153 AND 140 CONCERNING REST AND PAID LEAVE, AS WELL AS GIVING EFFECT TO RECOMMENDATION 37 CONCERNING HOURS OF WORK IN HOTELS, RESTAURANTS AND SIMILAR ESTABLISHMENTS;

4. Calls upon tourism industry to WORK WITH ALL STAKEHOLDERS TO develop new forms of socially, culturally and environmentally [DELETE: compatible] SUSTAINABLE forms of tourism, [DELETE: and] to continue the development and use of voluntary initiatives in support of sustainable tourism development AND TO BECOME ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN LOCAL AGENDA 21 PROCESSES IN THE COMMUNITIES IN WHICH THEY OPERATE, ASSUMING AND INCREASING THEIR ROLE AS ECONOMICALLY, SOCIALLY AND ENVIRONMENTALLY RESPONSIBLE STAKEHOLDERS;

5. Invites Governments, major groups, as well as the United Nations system, working through the Inter-Agency Committee for Sustainable Development, in close collaboration with the OMT/WTO, and building on relevant work carried out by UNEP, UNESCO, UNCTAD, ILO, UNDP, WHO, UN REGIONAL COMMISSIONS, the Convention on Biological Diversity and other relevant organizations, to undertake the following tasks and to keep the CSD informed on progress achieved:

(a) To promote long-term sustainable tourism development that increases the economic and educational benefits from the tourism resources AND ENSURES THAT THE HOST COMMUNITY HAS AN EQUITABLE SHARE IN THOSE BENEFITS WHILST [DELETE: and] maintainING the cultural and environmental integrity of the LOCATION AND THE host community;

(b) To support national efforts in developing countries and countries with economies in transition towards sustainable tourism development through relevant capacity building activities as well as financial and technical assistance with regard to all aspects of tourism, including education in the field of tourism. THIS INCLUDES CAPACITY BUILDING FOR ALL RELEVANT STAKEHOLDERS, IN PARTICULAR INDIGENOUS PEOPLES, WOMEN AND YOUTH, TO ENABLE THEIR ACTIVE PARTICIPATION IN PLANNING AND DECISION MAKING PROCESSES;

(c) To collect and disseminate information on [DELETE: best] GOOD practices and techniques, including an appropriate mix of instruments to minimize negative and to promote positive environmental, HEALTH, CULTURAL and social impacts from tourism, INCLUDING AIR POLLUTION, in developed and developing countries and in countries with economies in transition. This programme [DELETE: could] SHOULD also include the collection of [DELETE: disaggregated] data DISAGGREGATED BY GENDER, AGE AND INCOME LEVEL on travel to determine the kinds of visitors to various countries and their needs. THE PROGRAMME SHOULD ALSO PROCEED TO DEVELOP CRITERIA FOR THE ASSESSMENT OF GOOD PRACTICE IN A MULTI-STAKEHOLDER PROCESS;

(d) To promote the exchange of information on [DELETE: transportation, accommodation and other services,] EXPERIENCE WITH STAKEHOLDER PARTICIPATION AND EMPOWERMENT, public awareness raising programmes and CONSUMER education, and various voluntary programmes. Possible forms of this information exchange should be explored in consultation with [DELETE: relevant partners] ALL STAKEHOLDERS. Utilisation of means such as trade representations, tourist offices and the Internet should be considered;

(e) To REVIEW EXISTING STUDIES AND WHERE NECESSARY undertake NEW studies on appropriate measures for promoting sustainable tourism development AND THE CONTRIBUTION OF SUSTAINABLE TOURISM TO THE ERADICATION OF POVERTY. THE CONDITIONS UNDER WHICH TOURISM DEVELOPMENT HELPS TO CREATE EMPLOYMENT AND INCOME GENERATING ACTIVITIES IN THE INFORMAL SECTOR WHICH REFLECT AND MAINTAIN SUSTAINABLE, GENDER-EQUITABLE, NON-DISCRIMINATORY PRACTICES AND MAXIMISE THE BENEFITS FOR LOCAL COMMUNITIES, INDIGENOUS PEOPLES, WOMEN AND MEN, YOUNG AND OLD NEED TO BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT.

(e ter) IN MANY DESTINATIONS IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES, THE LOCAL POPULATION FACES A DISADVANTAGE FOR GAINING ENTRY INTO THE FORMAL SECTOR BECAUSE OF LOW LEVELS OF EDUCATION. THIS IS PARTICULARLY TRUE FOR WOMEN WHO ARE LESS EDUCATED IN MANY COUNTRIES. IMPROVING ACCESS TO EDUCATION AND IMPROVING THE STANDARD OF EDUCATION IN DESTINATION AREAS SHOULD BE A LONG-TERM STRATEGY.

(e bis) TO CREATE FUNDS AND (MICRO)CREDIT-PROGRAMMES TO SUPPORT INCOME GENERATING ACTIVITIES IN THE INFORMAL SECTOR AND LINK EXISTING PROGRAMMES WITH TOURISM RELATED ACTIVITIES;

(f) To clarify further the concept and definition of sustainable tourism and of ecotourism;

(g) To develop indicators for sustainable tourism, taking into account the work of OMT/WTO, as well as ongoing testing phase of indicators for sustainable development. THE DEVELOPMENT OF INDICATORS NEEDS TO BE A MULTI-STAKEHOLDER GROUP EFFORT AND PARTICULAR EMPHASIS NEEDS TO BE PLACED ON GENDER SENSITIVITY AND IMPACTS ON INDIGENOUS PEOPLES;

(h) To undertake activities that would be mutually supportive to the preparations of the International Year of Ecotourism and International Year of the Mountains, as well as activities of the International Coral Reef Initiative;

(i) To undertake a comprehensive survey and assessment of the existing voluntary initiatives AND AGREEMENTS relating to the economic, socio-cultural and environmental sustainability of tourism within the context of the process launched by the Sixth session of the CSD on voluntary initiatives (CSD decision 6/2), USING THE FRAMEWORK FOR A REVIEW BEING PROPOSED BY THIS MULTI-STAKEHOLDER GROUP PROCESS;

(j) To consider establishing a global network to promote an exchange of information and views on ecotourism;

(j bis) TO SUPPORT THE ESTABLISHMENT OF INTERNATIONAL AND REGIONAL NETWORKS OF SMALL AND MEDIUM SIZED ENTERPRISES IN TOURISM, PARTICULARLY THOSE SET UP BY WOMEN, TO IMPROVE EXCHANGE OF INFORMATION, SKILL-SHARING AND MUTUAL SUPPORT;

(k) To elaborate, in consultation with Governments, the private sector, labour associations, local authorities and other major groups, ELABORATING UPON EXISTING GUIDELINES, a comprehensive set of guidelines for sustainable tourism development FOR ALL STAKEHOLDERS aimed at ensuring that the development of tourism is consistent with the goals and principles of sustainable development, A DRAFT OF WHICH COULD BE PRESENTED TO THE EIGTH SESSION OF THE CSD, that could be approved by the United Nations by 2002. ONGOING MONITORING AND EVALUATION OF IMPLEMENTATION OF THESE GUIDELINES IN A MULTI-STAKEHOLDER GROUP PROCESS SHOULD BE REPORTED TO THE CSD EVERY TWO YEARS.

6. Invites the COP of the CBD to further consider, in the context of the process of the exchange of experiences, existing knowledge and best practice on sustainable tourism development and biological diversity with a view to contributing to international guidelines for activities related to sustainable tourism development in vulnerable terrestrial, inter alia mountain, and marine ecosystems and habitats of major importance for biological diversity and protected areas;

7. Invites the OMT/WTO, World Travel and Tourism Council and the Earth Council as the authors of "Agenda 21 for the Travel and Tourism Industry", BASED ON THE PROCESS ON VOLUNTARY INITIATIVES LAUNCHED BY THE SIXTH SESSION OF THE CSD AND THE FRAMEWORK BEING PROPOSED to develop modalities of assessment, monitoring and reporting to complement the work achieved thus far and to make the results available to CSD.

8. INVITES UNEP TO PROMOTE THE ADOPTION OF THE UN ECE / AARHUS CONVENTION ON ACCESS TO INFORMATION, PARTICIPATION IN DECISION MAKING AND ACCESS TO JUSTICE IN ENVIRONMENTAL MATTERS AS A GLOBAL CONVENTION.

UNED-UK Gender & Tourism Project Team

Minu Hemmati & Lara Marsh, and Harrinet Berhane, Rosalie Gardiner, Beccy Griffiths, Carmen Michael, Martin Prowse, Sarah Valinsky