Roundtable Speeches about “Sustainable Development and Tourism

1. Mr. Masood Khan, the Ambassador of Pakistan to the United Nations

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Pakistan and China have a very good friendship and I have deep connections with Beijing. I stayed in Beijing during 1982-1986 and 2008-2012. I had very good memories there. Beijing is a metropolis that combines the present and past. Although there are still problems that all large cities have, I firmly believe that such problems can be solved while being led by Mayor Wang. Beijing is also a hot travel destination city and I hope we can learn from each other.

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2. Miss Aitimova, the Ambassador of Kazakhstan to the United Nations

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Kazakhstan and China are friendly neighbors and she has kept a very long friendship with Beijing. I myself have visited Beijing and was warmly welcomed and treated, which I will never forget. I want to say to Wang Anshun, the President of the World Tourism Cities Federation and the Mayor of Beijing, that the World Tourism Cities Federation is a very example that is made for strengthening connecting and boosting cities’ sustainable development. I am very happy to witness such a MOU signing ceremony. I hope that we can strengthen our connection and learn experience from you to successfully hold the 2017 World Expo in Kazakhstan.

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3. Mr. De Sila Pell Kaya, the Indonesian Ambassador to the United Nations

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The Beijing Tourism Exhibition held in the United Nations showed the vibrant development of Beijing. Like many other cities in the world, Beijing is facing the challenge of urbanization, such as infrastructure, social problems and others. To solve such problems, we should work hand in hand. It is through this way, that we can overcome problems together. For example, today’s signed MOU is a very good beginning.

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4. Mr. Asoke Mu Maer Mukherjee, India's Ambassador to the United Nations

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I am much honored to witness the signing ceremony of the MOU and congratulate the World Tourism Cities Federation! I personally visited Beijing, which left a very deep impression for me and is a city full of rich historical resources with dynamism. China and India are two important travel destinations. The tourism interaction between us has deepened our recognition and understanding. Today, tourism also plays a very important diplomatic role. I think that the two sides should work together to develop green tourism, which is a very important function to the sustainable development of a city. If there is a chance, I really hope to discuss such cooperation and communication further with all of you.

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5. Miss Maria Cristina Perceval, the Ambassador of Argentina to the United Nations

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Globalization brings opportunities to countries with different degrees of development. In my view, Beijing is a “City of Hope”. I once studied philosophy in Kazakhstan. During that time, Chinese philosophy gave me a very deep impression. Chinese philosophy can provide people with knowledge and experience and people in Argentina are curious about Chinese philosophy. Nowadays, for so many countries, it is not a big problem to help the poor, while many are not open-minded. I think that today’s meeting is a very good way to solve problems and create cooperation, and I hope meetings like this can also be held in Beijing.

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6. Csaba K？r？si, the Hungarian Ambassador to the United Nations

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The Beijing Tourism Photo Exhibition left a deep impression about Beijing’s deep history and culture. In the peaceful time of history, tourism can combine one city with another, which deepens interpersonal relationships. At the same time, we also face very big challenges. By 2030, the percentage of people who live in cities will reach 65% and the fast-developed urbanization will bring heavy pressure. On the condition that we keep stable, how could we guarantee the sustainable development of urbanization and tourism? We are all responsible for protecting the environment for our descendents. In addition, we all wish to see a more fair society and have better jobs. The World Tourism Cities Federation is a new international organization that is responsible for cities’ sustainable development and aims to establish harmonious relations. I show my high respect to this federation founded by Beijing. I also hope that this federation can successfully move forward, face challenges and solve problems together.

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7. Francis Zinsou, the Ambassador of the Republic of Benin to the United Nations

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Beijing is a city full of hope and we need to learn how to face challenges from Beijing and how to realize sustainable development. Beijing is leading the world’s development trend and we extremely hope to cooperate with it.

After the World Tourism Cities Federation successfully held the cooperation signing ceremony and co-held “the sustainable development and tourism” roundtable meeting, the Secretary-General and his delegation were invited to visit New York, Philadelphia, Washington and Ottawa during May 9 to 12, effectively discussing the issue of joining the World Tourism Cities Federation.

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George Fadiga, the Chief Operating Officer of the New York City Tourism Board, said, “We have never joined any international tourism organization yet, but are very interested in the World Tourism Cities Federation initiated by Beijing. We will set up the process of joining the federation immediately. At least, we will appoint our observers to visit the summit held by Beijing this year.”

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Miss Tracey, the Deputy Mayor of Philadelphia warmly welcomed the delegation and discussed the details about joining the federation. Two sides signed the memorandum of cooperation. They hoped to join the federation as quickly as possible to strengthen the tourism communication and cooperation among the member cities.

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David Jinpu, the man in charge of the Washington, D.C. government responsible for strategic business cooperation, said they have decided to join the World Tourism Cities Federation. “If everything is smooth, our delegation from Washington, D.C. will visit Beijing in the near future and hope to sign the agreement during that time.”

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Ottawa, Canada is among the first group of cities which joined the federation. The Deputy Mayor Stephen Delaishi said that during September of last year, when the inaugural meeting of the World Tourism Cities Federation was being held in Beijing, “My twin babies are being born. I’m so sorry for not attending the meeting. I hope I can visit this year’s second summit held in Beijing.”