BACKGROUND
INTERNATIONAL
BACKGROUND
The roots of Agenda 21 date back to the 1970s with the
UN-backed the Agenda 21 movement (named in reference to the 21st
Century). Here, for the first time, the international community expressed its
concerns about ecological and development challenges.
•
In 1972, the
“Conference on the Human Environment” took place under the auspices
of the United Nations, in Stockholm, Sweden.
•
In 1987, the UN World
Commission on Environment and Development adopted proposals set out in the
document called “Our Common Future or the Brundtland Report”, which
coined the first definition of Sustainable Development:
"Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the
present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their
own needs."
•
In 1992, the
“Earth Summit” took place under the auspices of the UN World
Commission on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
•
In 1995, the World
Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) and
the Earth Council formulated the “Agenda 21 for the Travel and Tourism
Industry”
•
In 1995, the “World Conference on Sustainable Tourism” took
place under the auspices of the World Tourism Organization in the Canary
Islands, Spain
•
IN 1999, the Association of Caribbean States (ACS-AEC) approves the
creation of the “Sustainable Tourism Zone of the Caribbean” (STZC).
•
In 2001, during the
Third Summit of the Association of
Caribbean States (ACS-AEC) that took place in Margarita (Venezuela), Mexico
signed up to the agreement of the “Sustainable Tourism Zone of the
Caribbean” (STZC).
•
In June 2001, the
Second Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Tourism Ministerial Meeting took
place in Manzanillo, Colima. 21 Tourism Ministers attended and one of the items
discussed was the importance of sustainable development in the tourism
industry.
•
In September 2002,
the “Johannesburg Summit” took place under the auspices of the
United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) in South Africa. During this meeting,
the Johannesburg declaration was adopted, with the aim of promoting sustainable
development in the tourism industry.
•
27 November 2002,
Agenda 21 for Mexican Tourism was announced.
•
In September 2005,
the Ministry of Tourism (SECTUR) together with the Ministry of the Environment
and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT) and the State Government of Baja California
Sur, and with the participation of the International Labour Organization (ILO)
and the ACS-AEC, jointly developed the “International Colloquium on
Sustainable Development of Tourism”, which took place in La Paz, Baja
California Sur.
•
In
November 2007, the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) organized a round-table
“Current challenges facing sustainable development for tourism; reducing
poverty, managing cultural and natural heritage resources and climate
change” in Cartagena de Indias (Colombia).
•
In September 2007,
the World Tourism Organization and the Spanish International Cooperation Agency
(AECID) organized the Regional Conferences for the
Americas, focused on the regulations, quality and sustainability of tourism
destinations.
•
In September 2007, a
progress report was published on the Agenda 21 Program for Mexican Tourism and
presented to Colombia’s tourism authorities, businesspeople and academics
during the 5th Meeting of Colombia’s Sustainable Tourism Network.
BACKGROUND IN MEXICO
The document entitled “Policy and National Strategy for the
Development of Sustainable Tourism” was presented at the end of 2000 as
the framework reference for the Agenda 21 Program for Mexican Tourism.
More directly, Agenda 21 was drawn up as one of the strategies needed to
comply with the National Tourism Program 2001-2006, which indicated that one of
its guiding principle was to “Maintain
Sustainable Tourism Destinations”, involving two Sectoral Objectives:
10. Supporting tourism development in municipalities, states and on a
regional level.
11. Encouraging sustainable development for tourism.
