(introduction...)

The UN Commission on Sustainable Development at it's 8th session in 1999 will have the opportunity to make some important recommendations for parts of the United Nations family. The second workshop in February 1999 discussed what roles these might be. The following are some suggestions.

6.1 The UN commission on sustainable development should:

· invite countries to integrate tourism into their sustainable development strategies for the 2002 review (Earth Summit III);

· ask the review of voluntary initiatives to take on a review of the tourism voluntary codes and report this to Earth Summit III in 2002 as part of that review process;

· ask the Inter-Agency Committee of Sustainable Development (IACSD) to review the role of all agencies and programs involved in tourism to increase co-operation and identify gaps;

· consider how to tackle critical issues, such as local economic leakages, multi-stakeholder participation, consumer education, resource use, protected areas, as well as the need for capacity building of stakeholders so that they can contribute more effectively to identifying and seeking solutions for such issues;

· instruct DESA in co-operation with other relevant UN Agencies (including WTO, UNEP, UNDP), Convention Secretariats, as well as stakeholder groups, to review and develop indicators of sustainable tourism as part of their work on producing indicators on each of the chapters of Agenda 21;

· ask the Conference of the Parties to the Biodiversity Convention to report annually to the CSD on the developments related to tourism and biodiversity;

· ask governments to sign and implement the Manila Declaration on the Social Impact of Tourism;

· ask WTTC to develop a multi-stakeholder process for Green Globe.

· encourage the World Bank, as a key stakeholder, to take an active role of supporting, co-ordinating and disseminating the on-going implementation of sustainable tourism efforts;

· raise the profile of tourism within World Bank and other UN agencies.

6.2 The United Nations environment programme should:

· develop a framework for "good practice" through their Industry Office work (and the Habitat/UNEP Sustainable Cities Programme) with industry associations at all levels (including WTTC, IHEI, ABTA, Association of Independent Tour Operators), trade unions (ICFTU), local authorities (ICLEI) and NGOs (the CSD NGO Steering Committee). The Office should then develop a database which is accessible by governments and stakeholders alike;

· provide more resources for the implementation of the framework;

· develop guidance notes, with UNCHS and relevant stakeholder groups, for the promotion of tourism within the local agenda 21 process internationally;

· provide guidance for the roles of stakeholders including a plan of action and time frames.

6.3 The United Nations regional commissions could:

· be asked to prepare a report for the CSD in Kiev, 2002, on the development of sustainable tourism activities within their region;

· work with UNEP/WTO to develop regional agreements and partnerships to address tourism sustainability.

6.4 United Nations development programme should:

· share the work it is doing on a guidelines for "good practice";

· utilise the UNDP country offices to bring together UN Agencies, bi-lateral donors and other stakeholders to work together on sustainable tourism - in particular utilising the work of the gender development programme in advising this process.