CS Balala Beats World Leaders to Land Top UN Job

Tourism CS Najib Balala was on Friday 13, 2019, elected as the new chair of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation’s Executive Council.

In the election, which was held during the 111th Session of the 23rd UNWTO General Assembly in Saint Petersburg, Russia, Balala emerged top.

He will be deputised an Italian during the one-year tenure, 2019 to 2020.

Tourism CS Najib Balala at the 23rd UNWTO General Assembly in St Petersburg, Russia. He was elected to Chair the Executive Council

Speaking during a phone interview on Friday night from Russia, Balala told The Star that he was is delighted to have been elected to chair the important global council.

“This is very important to us because this is the most powerful committee of the organization that elects the secretary general and makes the decision on many things of the organization,” Balala spoke. 

 “We have developed a ten-point road map for Africa that will deal with issues of branding the African continent and changing the narrative. 

 “During my time as the chair, we will be also pushing the for the development of a tourism commission in the African Union,” he added. 

The Executive Council's task is to take all necessary measures, in consultation with ‎the secretary general, for the implementation of its own decisions and ‎recommendations of the Assembly and report thereon to the Assembly.‎

‎The council which meets twice a year, consists of full members elected by the Assembly in the proportion of ‎one member for every five full members. It is in accordance with the Rules of Procedure ‎laid down by the Assembly with a view to achieving fair and equitable geographical ‎distribution.‎

The term of office of members elected to the council is four years and elections for ‎one-half of the council members are held every two years.

Leaders at the 23rd UNWTO General Assembly in St Petersburg, Russia. Kenya's Najib Balala will head the Executive Council for one year