This article was automatically translated from HIBAPRESS, the Arabic version:
Hibapress
The United Nations high-level champion for climate change, Nigari Arpadarai, on Wednesday called on parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change to sign the Baku Declaration on Enhanced Action and Tourism.
“We call on parties to join the climate effort, by signing the COP29 declaration on enhanced action and tourism,” said Ms. Arpadarai, during a thematic day on tourism, organized as part of of this global climatic event.
»With this first Tourism Day, we seek to lay the foundations for a holistic approach to sustainable tourism. We encourage all stakeholders to join this effort as we consider solutions for this critical pillar of growth and development,” she added.
As COP29 President, “the whole team is happy to see that an active bilateral and multilateral dialogue and an exchange of experiences are taking place before our eyes,” she said.
Tourism is an important driver of economic growth and development that supports the livelihoods of hundreds of millions of people, directly and indirectly, but it also contributes significantly to global greenhouse gas emissions, Ms. Arpadarai noted. who said she was “a strong supporter of integrating business into the climate change agenda and global climate action at all stages”.
In this regard, she stressed the importance of organizing thematic days and targeting particular sectors of the global and national economies.
The COP29 presidency is focused on promoting sustainability and resilience in tourism, she noted, urging countries to integrate tourism into their national climate policies.
“Tourism is committed to adopting low-carbon and climate-resilient models, aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals,” said the Executive Director of UN-Tourism, Zorista Urosevic, judging that the launch of the Baku Declaration on strengthening climate action in tourism, promoted by the presidency of COP 29, “underlines this commitment”.
More than 50 governments have endorsed the Baku Declaration over the past 20 days, as well as some non-state stakeholders, as it is expected to continue collecting endorsements until October 30, Ms. Urosevic said.
The World Tourism Organization and the Azerbaijan National Tourism Agency will circulate a document exploring the opportunity to integrate tourism into Nationally Determined Contributions, filling “a critical gap in implementation mechanisms” , she announced.
Furthermore, the UN organization, with the support of the Azerbaijan National Tourism Agency, laid the foundations for a global coordination mechanism aimed at aligning tourism climate action with the scientific agenda, a- she continued.
“These efforts ensure that tourism remains not only a driver of economic growth, but also a leader in environmental management as we move towards COP30 and a climate-resilient future,” the UN official said.
The 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (11-22 November) focuses primarily on climate financing, given the need to enable all countries to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and protect lives and livelihoods from the worsening effects of climate change, particularly for vulnerable communities.
