Mr Chairman, Thank you for the opportunity to address this forum.

The NGO Tourism Caucus and Trade Unions warmly welcome the Commission’s invitation to the UN system to elaborate both indicators and a set of guidelines for sustainable tourism which go beyond the biodiversity related aspects of tourism dealt with under the CBD. However, we are extremely concerned that a number of major issues raised in delegates’ interventions are not yet reflected in the elements for a draft decision. In particular, we would want to refer to the issue of human rights violations which arise directly from tourism development and strongly recommend inviting the UN system to provide frameworks to safeguard human rights in tourism, in particular with regard to combating sex tourism, child prostitution and exploitative forms of child labor.

We also want to refer to the area of foreign direct investment in which the CSD should also focus on precautionary frameworks to help tourism destinations minimise foreign exchange leakages and maximise linkages with the local economy. Trade liberalisation in services under GATS with free market access is increasingly undermining the possibilities especially of developing countries to control their local tourism industries, particularly small-scale and medium size enterprises, and to realize economic gains from tourism.

Furthermore, we would like to see frameworks for the internalisation of external costs and for ecologically appropriate pricing. This includes national accounting for tourism induced externalities as well as ecological tax reforms and the removal of subsidies that have negative environmental impacts.

We would also welcome particular emphasis on the participatory mechanisms established in the CSD process such as Local Agenda 21 and the active participation of all stakeholders at all stages of tourism development.  National governments should consider the feasibility of tourism within their national sustainable development strategies for the 2002 review.

Thank you.