United Nations World Tourism Organization: Himalayan Tourism Background Guide Table of Contents Letter from the Chair Letter from the Crisis Director Committee Logistics Introduction to the Committee Introduction to Topic One History of the Problem Past Actions Taken Current Events Questions to Consider Resources to Use Introduction to Topic Two History of the Problem Past Actions Taken Current Events Questions to Consider Resources to Use Bibliography Staff of the Committee Co-Chair Jeena Patel Co-Chair Bruno Auriemo Miglorancia Under Secretary General Jessie Hsu Taylor Cowser, Secretary General Neha Iyer, Director General Letter from the Chair Hello Delegates! I’m Jeena Patel and I was born and raised in Tampa, Florida. I am a Sophomore at BU majoring in Political Science and minoring in music. I am on the pre-law track and hope to go into either music or environmental law. I was in my high school’s Model United Nations team since my freshman year and have since continued my involvement in college. As someone who is still a delegate I love getting to meet people at conferences and learning about important global issues in-depth. When it comes to music, my interests include going to concerts (I’ve been to 27), playing guitar and cello, songwriting, and learning music production. I also make art, love to read, and meditate daily. MUN is the club that helped me the most with my confidence and public speaking skills, and I really hope that you all can gain the amazing benefits that come with being a delegate. Greetings delegates! My name is Bruno Miglorancia, I am originally from São Paulo, Brazil, and I am a Junior at BU, majoring in International Relations and minoring in Business Management and Economics. I am really interested in using what I learn here in BU to help solve many of the problems that people face back in my home country, and this is actually one of the reasons I joined MUN in my freshman year in high school. I was a delegate for all four years, and even got to act as Ambassador and Secretary General for my high school program. I loved looking for realistic solutions to many of the super complex problems that all of these countries faced, and I loved how MUN taught me to always look at things from many different points of view. I'm also really grateful for how MUN helped me improve my public speaking and my argumentative skills. In a less formal note, I am a huge sports fan (I may be from Brazil, but I like basketball more than soccer) and I enjoy almost all comic book or sci-fi movies. MUN debates have kept on teaching me new things every single year, and I look forward to learning a lot from all of you! If you have any questions, do not hesitate to reach out to us via the emails listed below! All the best, Jeena Patel ([email protected]) Bruno Miglorancia ([email protected]) Committee Logistics In this committee, the chairs will be accepting resolutions only. We will not be accepting directives, because those are usually more useful in crises, and this is not the case in our committee, which already has two topics that delegates will hopefully discuss a lot about. We will also allow voting procedures to occur so delegates decide which of the two topics (Human Rights in Himalayan tourism & Environmental Impact of Himalayan Tourism) to debate first. We expect all delegates to bring their country's final resolutions about each topic to the debate, and then, in unmoderated caucus, join with other block members to decide what points are best for a block resolution. We encourage delegates to do their own research, since these two topics are relevant not only to the Himalayan countries or the world powers, but also to smaller and poorer countries, who we are sure will contribute with meaningful points in the debates. Feel free to interpret your own country's stance on each topic; just because your biggest allies position themselves one way, it does not mean that for the topic of tourism you have to be completely aligned with them. Resolutions are expected to have six signatories each, and as many sponsors as they want. All countries must either sponsor or sign one resolution, and all countries have to be associated with one of the presented resolutions - no country may abstain. We expect all delegates to treat one another with respect, and refrain from making unnecessary noises or whispers during the sessions. While the chairs or delegates are speaking, during moderated caucus, delegates may communicate with one another through note papers or online, but remember that whispers may be disruptive to delegates who might be debating for the first time. Do not be afraid to ask the chairs formally in debate (through points of inquiry or clarification) , or informally during breaks or once the debate is over - we are here to help! In terms of "Best Delegate" awards, we will be looking for delegates whose research and debating skills stand out from the rest. Delegates who defend their positions against unceasing opposition, who use statistics, data, and logic to argue for their points, and who are able to truly tap into their country's beliefs and convince others of their points. We look forward to a fruitful and fun debate! Introduction to the Committee The United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) formed on November 1st, 1974 as a UNited NAtions specialized committee and was founded because of the rapidly growing worldwide tourism industry. The WTO Secretary-General Mr. Francesco Frangiali said during its founding that increased visibility for tourism will help it “be considered on an equal footing with other major activities of human society.” Tourism has become an important sector and main source of income for many developing countries’ economies. Tourism has played a large role in industrializing developing countries by growing their infrastructure, telecommunications, agricultural, and service industries. UNWTO works with countries to expand their tourism industries as a means of economic development. Through advising countries on building their tourism industry, UNWTO prioritizes sustainable development. There are currently 158 member states in UNWTO and 6 territories being represented. Travel companies, airlines, and local governments, and hotel groups are also affiliate members of the WTO. As a UN body, the WTO works to provide research on tourism, sustainability, and markets. The WTO also advocates for indiscriminate policies in member states that will grow sustainable tourism and foster education. WTO leads technical assistance projects. The WTO encourages for the meeting of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and to implement the Global Code of Ethics for Tourism. The committee will discuss two topics. Topic 1 is Human Rights and Himalayan Tourism. Topic 2 is Environmental Impacts of Himalayan Tourism. The Himalayas is home to a population of 52.7 million people. The Himalayas are home to the birthplace of Buddha and have many sacred sites. The growing popularity of tourism and its effects on the region have led policymakers in Nepal with several courses of action to take. As a committee, the impact of tourism in the Himalayas must be assessed not merely from an economic standpoint, but with considerations to the environmental sustainability and human rights. Introduction to Topic One: Human Rights and Himalayan Tourism Tourism is one of the fastest growing business industries on the planet, and for good reason - countries and regions filled with unique natural wonders need only to open their doors and allow interested adventurers and their families in. For developing countries, especially those who are lucky enough to have preserved their natural wonders (be they beaches, forests, mountains, or anything else that might generate an interest to go there) tourism is an excellent way to make easy money while being proud of what your native land has to offer. However, irresponsible tourism can be extremely detrimental on two fronts - the social (human) side, and the environmental (natural) side. Topic 1 of this UNWTO debate is centered on the human rights issues that must be acknowledged, examined, and resolved in the Himalayan region. When discussing truly sustainable tourism, it is important to understand how human rights can be positively affected by it. How are indigenous people of the region treated? Are their holy sites respected, and do the tourists truly respect their customs and way of living? Are other locals treated with dignity and respect? Are any children disrespected and taken advantage of by foreigners? Do we really care about the local street vendors, and the families working hard to provide you with the best service and experience, or do we leave that to the side and pour money into the gigantic tourism industry, in enormous resorts and hotels? These are a few of the human rights issues that delegates must understand and develop creative long-term solutions to. Human rights in tourism are often an overlooked topic, because the impact of our actions as tourists is not seen immediately. In the Himalayas, a tourist would be more likely to notice a piece of plastic litter on the side of a trail and ponder about how sustainable tourism is, than to look at people suffering from poverty or hunger, or indigenous people losing their century-old land to industries that aim to build a hotel. What can governing bodies and nations do to help the situation in the Himalayas improve? Several countries have admirable sustainable tourism policies, with methods and techniques that respect the local populations and help guide them to a life where tourists willingly bring more income directly into their hands.