The 63rd meeting of UNWTO European Commission will be held in Samarkand. The event will be opened by the Deputy Prime-Minister of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Chairman of the State Committee for Tourism Development, A. Abdukhakimov.
The decision to host this event was made upon a proposal to hold the 65th session of the European Commission 2020 in Samarkand sent from the State Committee for Tourism Development of the Republic of Uzbekistan to the UNWTO Secretariat. The event, initially scheduled for June 24-25 in Samarkand, was expected to bring together more than 300 delegations from ministries and departments of tourism and industry of more than 40 countries, as well as a conference with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the event is agreed upon holding online. The main discussion topic of the event will be around the impact of the pandemic on tourism and overcoming its consequences.
Ministers of tourism from 40 countries will participate virually on the 65th Meeting of the Commission for Europe. The event will be opened by A. Abdukhakimov, Deputy Prime-Minister of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Chairman of the State Committee for Tourism Development, and chaired by Harry Theoharis, the Minister of Tourism of Greece. Following the presentation and report of Zurab Pololikashvili, UNWTO Secretary-General, Professor Alessandra Priante, Regional Director for Europe, will present a report on current activities and initiatives carried out in Europe during the COVID-19. The online event will include Ministerial discussion on policy issues in response to COVID-19 and presentations by the UNWTO experts and the International Finance Corporation on the Green Financing Instrument.
Another significant topic will be discussion on the venue for the next - 66th edition of the session in full format, and the candidacy of Uzbekistan as a host has the strongest backing from the UNWTO and its member-states. About the Commission for Europe In 1975, six regional commissions were established as subsidiary bodies of the UNWTO General Assembly. The commissions usually meet once a year to strengthen relations between member states and to submit proposals and problems of the countries of the region between the sessions of the General Assembly in the Secretariat.
Each commission shall elect its chairman and vice-chairmen from among member states for a two-year term between sessions of the General Assembly. The European Regional Commission has 42 members from Europe and Central Asia. Greece is currently chairing the CEU - UNWTO European Commission. Moldova, Poland and Serbia are vice-chairs of the Commission. The 63rd meeting of the European Commission was held on June 11-13, 2018 in Prague, Czech Republic. The 64th meeting was held on May 27-30, 2019 in Zagreb, Croatia.
