The Government will begin the works of the Madrid Conference Center in 2022 to ‘tie up’ the UNWTO headquarters in Spain

The controversy over Saudi Arabia’s intention to keep the headquarters of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) It is one of the great concerns of the Spanish Government, which has an ace up its sleeve. Its about Congress Palace of Madrid, which will house the future UNWTO headquarters and whose remodeling works will start in 2022, as confirmed by sources from the Secretary of State for Tourism to Invertia.

“The public tender to award the works of the Palacio de Congresos de Madrid will be published in 2022”, they assure this medium. So it is expected that “that same year, in 2022, the remodeling work on the building will begin.” All this after the Spanish Tourism Institute (Turespaña) commissioned the public company Ineco in 2020 to draft the basic project for the remodeling works.

“Our commitment has always been to give UNWTO a more privileged location”, they signal from the secretariat. Currently its offices are at Poeta Joan Maragall 42 (Madrid) and with the works of the Palacio de Congreso it will be located right in the building that overlooks Paseo de la Castellana, in front of the Santiago Bernabéu stadium (one of the most visited places in Madrid).

Commitment that is worth to the Spanish Government as one more argument to try to retain the headquarters of the UN body in our country. Since the possibility that Saudi Arabia could seize the UNWTO headquarters from Spain jumped, the Spanish Executive has not ceased in its diplomatic offensive.

“The Government is making diplomatic negotiations with all countries, including Saudi Arabia. We are acting at the highest level ”, sources from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs tell Invertia. At a level in which the minister himself, José Manuel Albares, has also had to intercede.

And we are talking about the possibility because it is not confirmed that the vote will take place, as Invertia has learned. In fact, Foreign sources believe that such a vote will not take place. But in any case, “Spain will be prepared to defend the UNWTO headquarters,” they assert.

In case of occurrence, it is necessary to remember that it should be endorsed by two-thirds of the organization’s 159 member states.

In addition, the Spanish Government considers that “there are no objective reasons” for the headquarters located in Spain to move from its creation in 1975. Its location has never been changed, nor have other countries requested a relocation. In addition, it is the only United Nations agency present in Spain. For its part, the UNWTO is silent and has not answered the questions of this medium.

His hypothetical transfer, of course, It would be a blow to the image of Spain, which before the Covid was the second largest tourist power in the world. Hence, sources from the tourism sector claim to the Executive of Pedro Sánchez the defense of the headquarters.

For all these reasons, the trump card of the Palacio de Congresos de Madrid is vital for the Government. “We are progressing rapidly in the works”, They acknowledge from the Secretary of State, who assure that “everything is going according to the established deadlines”, even without knowing the intentions of Saudi Arabia.

Closed since 2012

Inaugurated in 1970, the Palacio de Congresos de Madrid has a large mural on its façade by Joan Miró in 1980. This emblematic building It has been closed since December 2012, when a technical report concluded that it did not comply with current safety regulations. The car park does remain in operation (it is operated by Turespaña) since this area was not affected by the 1995 fire that damaged part of the complex.

Since then, Ideas have happened to recover this architectural jewel. On June 18, 2015, Turespaña commissioned the feasibility study for the rehabilitation and operation of the Madrid Conference Center under a work concession contract. The study established the possible uses for the Palacio de Congresos y Exposiciones in Madrid.

But the agreement of the Madrid City Council of April 28, 2015 that approved the Special Plan for the Madrid Conference Center was challenged before the contentious-administrative jurisdiction and partially annulled by a judgment of the Superior Court of Justice of Madrid.

Later, on December 13, 2019, a new feasibility study was commissioned, which was submitted to public information and delivered on July 13, 2020. On June 28, 2020, Turespaña commissioned the state company Ineco to draft the preliminary draft and draft the basic project for the remodeling works of the Palace.

After this, it is when the bidding documents for the contract will be drawn up (specific administrative clauses, specific technical specifications and exploitation clauses), the bid itself and the award of the contract. All of this, as we have already mentioned, will arrive in 2022.

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