Summary report, 26–28 March 2026

Mountains make up over a quarter of the Earth’s land surface and are home to 1.2 billion people. Half of the world’s population depends on them for their freshwater, energy, and other critical ecosystem services. They are important sanctuaries for biodiversity, hosting about half of the world’s biodiversity hot spots. They are also centers of cultural and linguistic diversity, where a remarkable range of sustainable subsistence models and land-use systems, as well as unique approaches for adapting to climate change, can be found. 

However, global threats such as climate change, biodiversity loss, land degradation, and pollution are increasingly threatening the communities and ecosystems of the world’s mountain regions, triggering further harms globally. Climate-related impacts such as glacier retreat and reduced snow cover risk triggering more frequent and severe hazards that threaten food security, livelihoods, and ecosystems, in both upland and downstream regions. In developing country mountain regions, one in two rural people are vulnerable to food insecurity, stemming from poverty, marginalization, and gender inequality, which are exacerbated by environmental impacts. Action to address these vulnerabilities and environmental impacts is, thus, critical. 

To continue addressing some of the challenges facing mountain communities and ecosystems, the Seventh Global Meeting of the Mountain Partnership convened under the overarching theme, “Mountains for the Future: Responsible Tourism, Thriving Communities.” Over its three days, meeting participants discussed the agenda for the Mountain Partnership going forward. This included strong calls for reinforcing the science-policy interface and ensuring mountain issues are better reflected in climate and other international processes. Ecosystem protection was discussed, including the importance of mainstreaming mountains across the Rio Conventions, and underscoring the importance of supporting traditional practices and knowledge of local mountain communities and Indigenous Peoples. Participants also explored ways to build a tourism sector that supports mountain economies and livelihoods while also protecting fragile ecosystems and respecting cultural heritage. The importance of women’s empowerment for building resilient community-based tourism was identified as key. In a session on sustainable tourism from highlands to islands, panelists shared lessons from bringing local food systems into the tourism industry and the highlighted the importance of regional cooperation.

On financing mountain development, participants discussed the importance of building bridges between the financial agendas on sustainable development and climate action. Many also stressed that public and private institutions must work with and benefit local communities, who not only provide local knowledge but are crucial for project implementation. When addressing the topic of building sustainable livelihoods, agrifood systems and economies, one insight shared was that mountain economies become more resilient when support not only addresses production, but also accounts for inclusive value chains and enabling market access. Many also underscored that mountain agriculture not only produces food, but also delivers ecosystem services, landscape stewardship, and regional cohesion. In a session on youth, several panelists raised the importance of institutionalizing meaningful participation so youth can genuinely engage in decision making and build bridges between global decision making and action on the ground.

The meeting was organized around panel discussions, while numerous side events ran throughout the afternoon. The meeting also elected a new Steering Committee for the Mountain Partnership, adopted the updated strategy documents for the period 2026-2030, and endorsed the Andorra Declaration which, will guide the work of the Partnership over the coming four-year period.

The Seventh Global Meeting of the Mountain Partnership took place from 26-28 March 2026, in Andorra la Vella, with around 150 participants attending. It was organized and hosted by the Mountain Partnership and the Government of Andorra, with the financial support from the Governments of Italy and Switzerland.

A Brief History of Sustainable Mountain Development

UN Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), Rio+20, and the SDGs: The first major international decision to address the issue of mountains and mountain regions was at UNCED, also known as the Earth Summit, held in June 1992 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Chapter 13 of the main UNCED outcome, Agenda 21, is dedicated to mountains and recognizes the important ecological, economic, and social functions of, and services provided by, mountain regions. Chapter 13 also makes several recommendations, including: promoting erosion control; promoting alternative livelihoods; developing early warning systems and disaster-response teams for hazardous areas; and building expertise on mountain ecosystems.

In June 2012, the UN Conference on Sustainable Development, also known as Rio+20, adopted the outcome document, The Future We Want, which includes specific references to mountains.

Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 15 (life on land), adopted in 2015, addresses the need to “Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss.” The first target under SDG 15 explicitly mentions mountains among the ecosystems to be conserved, restored, and sustainably used in line with international agreements.

In 2021, the United Nations General Assembly declared 2022 as the International Year of Sustainable Mountain Development. The resolution, proposed by the Government of Kyrgyzstan, invited Member States, organizations of the UN system, other international organizations and stakeholders, including civil society, the private sector, and academia, to observe the International Year to increase awareness of the importance of sustainable mountain development and the conservation and sustainable use of mountain ecosystems. The main outcome of the 2022 International Year of Sustainable Mountain Development was the Declaration on Five Years of Action for the Development of Mountain Regions 2023-2027.

The Mountain Partnership: The Mountain Partnership, founded by the Governments of Italy and Switzerland, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO), and the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), was launched in 2002 at the World Summit for Sustainable Development in Johannesburg, South Africa.

The first Global Meeting of the Mountain Partnership, held in Merano, Italy, from 5-6 October 2003, identified common needs, priorities, and concerns among mountain countries, and explored key issues related to the structure, membership, and governance of the Partnership.

The second Global Meeting took place in Cusco, Peru, from 28-29 October 2004. It reviewed progress and charted the future course of the Mountain Partnership and its dynamic core, the “Partnership Initiatives.” Participants endorsed the governance of the Partnership set out in the its Organization Membership and Governance document and affirmed their collective commitment to the goals of sustainable mountain development.

The third Global Meeting convened in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Tuesday, 19 June 2012, on the sidelines of the Rio+20 Summit, and shared lessons and best practices from joint action over the past ten years. The meeting also considered future cooperative efforts of the Mountain Partnership on a synergistic, inclusive, and committed foundation.

The fourth Global Meeting took place in Erzurum, Turkey, from 17-19 October 2013. Participants addressed: the new Mountain Partnership Strategy and Governance; mountains in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development; the Mountain Forum knowledge platform for sustainable mountain development; regional coordination mechanisms; and selection of the Steering Committee.

The fifth Global Meeting convened in Rome, Italy, from 11-13 December 2017, on the 15th anniversary of the Mountain Partnership. Discussions highlighted challenges to be addressed in the Partnership’s Framework for Action, including: the relationship between mountains and climate change; disaster risk management; food and water provisioning; mountain goods and services; mountain communities and migration; and links to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The sixth Global Meeting convened in Aspen, Colorado, United States, from 27-29 September 2022. Discussions highlighted sustainable mountain development and addressed climate change, ecotourism, renewable energy, disaster mitigation, Indigenous knowledge, and water conservation at the global and regional levels. A multi-year action plan was considered. The meeting produced the Aspen Declaration to build momentum for mountains.

World Mountain Forum (WMF): The first WMF took place under the overall framework of the Mountain Partnership, during the Lucerne World Mountain Conference, held from 11-12 October 2011 in Lucerne, Switzerland. Delegates adopted a plan of action to secure renewed political commitment for sustainable mountain development.

The second WMF took place from 22-24 May 2014 in Cusco, Peru. The Forum showcased available local, regional, and global experiences in mountain development, and identified opportunities and challenges for global sustainable mountain development, with a focus on water and food security, sustainable investment, and climate change adaptation.

The third WMF convened from 17-20 October 2016 in Mbale, Uganda, under the theme “Mountains for our Future,” and was preceded by a special Africa mountains event that highlighted key issues affecting mountain ecosystems and communities in Africa. The Forum adopted the Mbale Call for Scaling Up Action, themed “Don’t leave the mountains behind.” It aimed to galvanize work on the ground and guiding mountain-related interventions in relevant international policy processes, including the Paris Agreement on climate change and mountain-related targets under the SDGs.

The fourth WMF took place from 23-26 October 2018, in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, and addressed the overarching theme “Mountains in a Changing World: Strengthening Partnerships and Pathways Towards a Thriving Mountain Future.” Discussions focused on three topics: current trends and dynamics; pathways towards a sustainable mountain future; and partnerships and alliances to advance sustainable mountain development. Delegates adopted the conference outcome document titled “A Call for Mountains.”

Report of the Seventh Global Meeting of the Mountain Partnership

Opening the meeting on Thursday, Noëlia Souque, Ambassador for Cross-border Cooperation, Andorra, highlighted the importance of mountains in sustaining cultures and livelihoods. Noting that mountain communities are at the frontline of climate change, she stressed the need for coordinated action, scaling up solutions, and ensuring mountain voices are heard at the highest level of decision making.

Ludovica Tancredi Martinelli, Chair of the Mountain Partnership Steering Committee, said the meeting highlights practical solutions that often come directly from mountain communities and Indigenous Peoples and are supported by the scientific community. Noting mountain issues are now receiving more attention in international discourse, she stressed the need to turn this attention into concrete action.

Shaikha Al Nowais, Secretary-General, UN Tourism, pointed to the 186 ski areas already permanently closed in the French alps as a testament to the increasing pressure on mountain communities’ livelihoods from climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution. She stressed the need for sustainable and geographically balanced tourism, noting up to 16% of travelers now choose mountain destinations.

Highlighting that protecting mountain ecosystems is essential for sustainable development, Amina J. Mohammed, UN Deputy Secretary-General, explained that mountain regions support over a billion people worldwide. She stressed that poverty and marginalization compound pressure to mountain communities that already face climate change, biodiversity loss, land degradation, and deforestation. Saying we are moving towards the end of the 2030 Agenda, she highlighted the need to strengthen political will and turn commitment into action.

Imma Tor Faus, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Andorra, pointed out that mountains cover nearly a quarter of the planet and are sources of fresh water, biodiversity, and gastronomy heritage. She noted mountain communities are on the frontline of the impacts from climate change and biodiversity loss. She reaffirmed the importance of the Mountain Partnership for bringing concrete actions to guarantee sustainable development and provide mountain resilience.

Founders of the Mountain Partnership Roundtable

Julia Wolf, newly appointed Coordinator, Mountain Partnership Secretariat, moderated this session. She opened the discussion by stressing that mountains sustain life far beyond their boundaries and that ensuring their resilience is a global concern.

Giuseppe Buccino Grimaldi, Ambassador of Italy to Spain and Andorra, stressed that mountains are part of Italy’s nature, history, culture, and heritage. He said a key lesson from the Partnership’s work is that multi-stakeholder cooperation is only effective when it translates into tangible action on the ground. He underlined four priorities for Italy: integrating mountain issues into national policy; promoting sustainable and resilient mountain livelihoods with a focus on agrifood systems; increasing financing with a focus on blended finance; and strengthening coherence across international processes.

Alwin Kopše, Deputy Assistant Director-General and Head of International Affairs and Food Security, Federal Office for Agriculture, Switzerland, underscored the Partnership as a unique opportunity to connect processes related to agriculture and food systems with the mountain agenda. For this, he highlighted three key actions: deepening the implementation of food systems transformation; enabling meaningful participation in policy processes for food systems; and securing convergence and coherence across policy areas, by promoting measures that focus on resilience. He called for reflecting on the role of advocacy and on how to strengthen the Partnership in this new geopolitical environment where multilateralism is at risk.

Zhimin Wu, Assistant Director-General and Director, Forestry Division, FAO, gave an overview of FAO’s work related to mountains, highlighting the Mountain Partnership Secretariat’s Business Incubator and Accelerator Programme that strengthens entrepreneurship and supports mountain communities to improve market access. He noted that the 2026 International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists and the International Year of the Women Farmer offer important opportunities to advance more inclusive and equitable mountain development. He stressed the importance of expanding the Partnership, working with governments to ensure mountain issues are reflected in national agendas, and bringing holistic solutions that reflect the interconnectedness of issues.

Arnold Kreilhuber, Regional Director and Representative, Regional Office for Europe, UNEP, pointed to the World Restoration Flagships that help shine a light on the importance of restoring mountain ecosystems. He also highlighted the work of the Mountain Partnership on improving the science-policy interface, stressing that “in everything we do, we should be guided by science.” He underscored the importance of enhancing implementation and sharing best practices as a way to serve multilateralism and demonstrate the value of the Partnership to governments. Pointing to the resolution on the preservation of glaciers and the broader cryosphere, in particular in mountain regions, adopted by the seventh meeting of the UN Environment Assembly, he highlighted the need for new financing models.

Mountains Matter: Accelerating Action Amid Global Challenges

Five panels on this theme convened over the first two days of the conference, delving into issues related to: climate action; ecosystem protection, restoration, and sustainable management; sustainable tourism; financing sustainable development; and livelihoods, agrifood systems, and mountain economies.

Climate Action – Fostering the Science and Policy Network: This panel took place on Thursday and was moderated by Kaveh Guilanpour, Vice President for International Strategies, Center for Climate and Energy Solutions. In opening the session, he highlighted key upcoming moments to accelerate action on mountains across the international agenda: the mountains and climate change dialogue to be held at the upcoming meeting of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Secretariat (UNFCCC) Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA 64); the second Global Stocktake under the Paris Agreement; and the post-2030 development framework.

David Forné, Secretary of State for Energy Transition, Transportation and Mobility, Andorra, stressed the importance of dialogues on bringing science closer to decision-making processes, and turning them into action. He highlighted his country’s priority climate actions, which include accelerating the energy transition towards renewables, and the use of climate data in developing Andorra’s national adaptation plan. 

Dinara Kemelova, Ambassador, Special Representative of the President of Kyrgyzstan on the mountain agenda, underscored their work on building a broad coalition of countries to promote coordinated approaches for protecting mountain ecosystems. She drew attention to the upcoming Second Global Mountain Summit Bishkek+25, due to take place in Bishkek, in October 2027.  

Pema Gyamtsho, Director-General, International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), stressed that what happens in mountains will determine the future for billions. He called for greater regional cooperation given that rivers, glaciers. and mountains cross national borders. Noting mountain regions are underrepresented in climate negotiations, he called on leaders to come together and ensure mountain voices are not only heard, but also meaningfully reflected in global climate ambition and implementation.

Noting that the Himalayan region provides ecosystem services to more than a quarter of the world’s population, Ram Chandra Kandel, Joint Secretary/Chief, Participatory Forest Division, Ministry of Forests and Environment, Nepal, drew attention to the Sagarmatha Sambaad, a multi-stakeholder, permanent global dialogue forum initiated by the Government of Nepal. He noted its long-term vision of nature-aligned, climate resilient, inclusive, and economically prosperous mountains and interconnected lowlands. He stressed the importance of raising mountain voices not just at the UNFCCC, but also at the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD).

Anil Mishra, Chief of Hydrological Systems, Climate Change and Adaptation, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), highlighted that 35.000 glaciers – more than 15% of global glaciers – are in 110 UNESCO-designated heritage sites and biosphere reserves. He stressed that continuing with “business as usual” will result in the loss of ecosystem and cultural services. He drew attention to the Decade of Action for Cryospheric Sciences 2025-2034 that aims to address knowledge and monitoring gaps in glacier preservation.

Rojina Manandhar, Team Lead, Adaptation Division, UNFCCC, explained that mountains have shifted from the margins to the core of UNFCCC outcomes. Among others, she drew attention to the recently adopted set of indicators to review progress on the Global Goal on Adaptation that includes a specific focus on mountains, the Nairobi Work Programme, where mountains is one of the thematic priority areas, and the expert dialogue on mountains and climate change that took place during the meeting of the UNFCCC Subsidiary Bodies in 2024. She stressed the importance of recognizing mountain issues as transboundary.

Carolina Adler, Executive Director, Mountain Research Initiative, and Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Lead Author, highlighted the Initiative’s achievements over the past 25 years. She noted, among others, its contribution to the Sixth Assessment Report of the IPCC with a cross-chapter paper on mountains. She also raised its engagement with the UNFCCC process on the Nairobi Work Programme and the Global Climate Observing System Implementation Plan with an emphasis on closing observation gaps in mountains. She stressed the need for monitoring the effectiveness of adaptation measures, and whether they sufficiently address the risks mountain regions face.

Mountains Beyond Borders – Ecosystem Protection, Restoration and Sustainable Management: This panel took place on Thursday, and was moderated by Hugo Mantilla-Meluk, Centro de Estudios de Alta Montaña, University of Quindío, Colombia.

Guillem Casal, Minister of Environment, Agriculture and Livestock, Andorra, underscored the need for cross-border ecosystem protection, noting Andorra’s efforts towards protecting 30 percent of its territory by 2030, through, among others, the creation of a new national natural park. The park will double the size of protected areas and connects with other transboundary protected areas, strengthening ecological connectivity and regional cooperation in biodiversity conservation. Casal underscored that making urbanization compatible with ecosystem protection is a sensitive balance, and stressed the need to raise awareness and take action to generate added value through sustainable tourism.

Noting 90% of Armenia’s ecosystem is mountainous, Robert Abisoghomonyan, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Armenia, highlighted that despite the country’s minimal emissions, its mountain ecosystems face the impacts of climate change disproportionally with floods and landslides becoming more frequent. On protecting and restoring these ecosystems, he underscored that: integrated approaches work best, as climate change, biodiversity loss, and land degradation go hand in hand; nature-based solutions are practical and cost effective for mountain regions; and traditional practices are essential for long-term sustainability. As the host of the 17th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP 17) to the CBD to be held later this year, he reiterated Armenia’s commitment to inclusivity and transparency.

With more than 300,000 herders in the country, Jambaltseren Tumur-Uya, State Secretary, Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Light Industry, Mongolia, highlighted the strong interdependence between pastoral livelihoods and mountain ecosystems. He drew attention to Mongolia’s New Cooperative Movement launched in 2024 under which more than ten thousand cooperatives have been established, and stressed the importance of combining traditional knowledge with modern science to build a more resilient pastoral sector. Tumur-Uya noted that Mongolia views the protection of mountain ecosystems as a foundation for food security, cultural heritage, and sustainable development.

Zhimin Wu, Assistant Director-General and Director, Forestry Division, FAO, underscored the need for closing monitoring gaps to enable evidence-based decision making. He noted FAO’s collaboration with partners on two SDG monitoring sub-indicators: 15.4.2a on the Mountain Green Cover Index, that measures the percentage of green vegetation in mountain areas; and 15.2.4b on the proportion of degraded mountain land. He said mountain land degradation is now accelerating globally and stressed the urgency for landscape restoration. Noting mountain forests act as the biggest terrestrial carbon sink, Wu reiterated FAO’s commitment to promote protection and restoration of mountain ecosystems.

Maria Argüello, Executive Director, Consortium for the Sustainable Development of the Andean Ecoregion (CONDESAN), shared key lessons from CONDESAN’s regional work, including their monitoring networks that help design effective sustainable practices. She noted the significance of both scientific and traditional knowledge, and the benefits of adopting knowledge co-production through participatory processes. She underscored that the long-term sustainability of local initiatives depends on support from constitutional and political frameworks, and financial mechanisms. Arguello stressed the need to translate scientific and technical knowledge into actionable messages in policy frameworks.

Tamara Mitrofanenko, Senior Carpathian Convention Expert, Carpathian Convention, provided an overview of the Carpathian Biodiversity Framework, aimed at enabling the local-level implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) under the CBD. She lamented the lack of support for pastoralist communities in the Carpathian Mountains, noting the contribution of traditional land management to the rich Carpathian biodiversity is often overlooked, with pastoralists often misrepresented in educational material and underappreciated and misunderstood by the authorities. She urged increasing pastoralist representation in international negotiations and policy meetings.

Noting that while they are seeing some mentions of mountains in National Reports submitted to the CBD, Tristan Tyrrell, Programme Management Officer, CBD Secretariat, stressed that more awareness is needed on the importance of mountains for downstream regions. He noted that the upcoming midterm review of the GBF will help define how the international community can pick up the pace and prioritize key issues. Tyrell underlined that a key challenge will be to ensure global agreements can be translated into local-level implementation.

Sustainable Tourism for Resilience Mountain Futures: This panel took place on Thursday and was moderated by Sandra Carvao, Director of the Tourism Market Intelligence and Competitiveness Department, UN Tourism.

Jordi Torres, Minister of Tourism and Commerce, Andorra, introduced the dimensions of Andorra’s tourism model: strengthening land protection and sustainable planning through environmental assessment mechanisms for tourism infrastructure and promoting actions for restoring alpine meadows and forests; accounting for the diversification and management of multi-season tourism; and prioritizing quality and value-added over quantity. He stressed that conservation does not limit tourism, but rather it guarantees its future.

Highlighting that 30% of Montenegro’s gross domestic product comes from tourism, Slaven Radunovic, Minister of Spatial Planning, Urbanism and State Property, Montenegro, drawing from his country’s experience, stated that intensive growth of tourism activity can severely impact natural resources, infrastructure, and cultural heritage. He said these threats, along with that of climate change, shape his country’s planning, with its adaptation strategies dedicated to growing year-round tourism that involves local communities. Reflecting on the role of the private sector, he noted it can be a driver for sustainable tourism, but only with clear rules and a balanced approach between economic interests, environmental protection, and quality of life.

Niumata Kitiona Pogi, Chief Executive Officer, Samoa Tourism Authority, highlighted that his country’s pristine environment is what defines it, but also what makes it fragile. He explained that in the face of climate change, Samoa is using community-based initiatives to identify new opportunities, which includes moving tourism to the mountain regions. Recalling a Samoan proverb which recognizes that whatever happens in the mountains impacts the lowlands, he stressed the importance of understanding and measuring tourism’s economic, social, cultural, and environmental impacts. He pointed to the UN Tourism indicators that help them plan for more sustainable tourism, and said empowering women has increased success at the community level.

Following a rapid rise in visitors in the past decade, Paola Moschella Miloslavich, Director of Glacier Research, Glaciers and Ecosystems Research National Institute, Peru, highlighted Peru’s efforts to promote sustainable tourism, noting that it is not only an economic activity but also a tool for climate adaptation and biodiversity conservation. Among others, she drew attention to community-based tourism that allows communities to diversify income sources and value traditional knowledge and cultural heritage, and to educational programmes for tour operators that help increase the understanding of the impacts of tourism on the ecosystem.

Serge Koenig, Council Member, International Mountain Tourism Alliance, underscored the importance of looking at mountains not as immutable spaces but as a source of transformation. He stressed that mountains are under increasing environmental, social, and economic pressure and drew attention to ClimSnow, a specialized climate service developed in France to help ski resorts and mountain regions adapt to the impacts of climate change. Reflecting on efforts to tackle the challenges locals face from tourism in Chamonix, he highlighted traffic management in town, regulating the short-term rental market and tackling air pollution.

Patricia Breuer Moreno, Co-Founder of Mujeres a la Cumbre and Co-Coordinator of the UNESCO Chair on Mountain Heritage and Biosphere, Research Center of Technology for Society at Universidad del Desarrollo, Chile, noted that for tourism to become a powerful driver of biodiversity conservation, it must be designed through a regenerative approach. She stressed the importance of initiatives trying to preserve their local biodiversity by promoting community-based monitoring. Moreno underscored that for local governance to be effective, it needed to be decentralized, inclusive, and take a realistic approach to the cost of conservation. She highlighted that, for women, tourism can be a strategy for remaining in rural areas by offering alternative incomes and helping to strengthen mountain identity. She noted that to some, tourism is a way of sharing their cosmovision and can help build bridges between worlds.

Financing Sustainable Development in Mountain Areas: This panel took place on Friday, and was moderated by Noëlia Souque, Ambassador for Cross-border Cooperation, Andorra. She opened by highlighting that the adaptation finance needs for mountainous developing countries are estimated at USD 187 billion per year, while international public finance flows reached only USD 13.8 billion in 2022, implying a gap of approximately USD 173 billion annually. She noted that scaling finance for mountains requires both better access to existing global mechanisms and greater recognition of mountain priorities in their programming.

Jordi Llopart, Senior Advisor to the Administrator Strategic Alliances Executive Office, UN Development Programme (UNDP), underscored the importance of aligning and building bridges between the financial agendas for sustainable development and climate action. He mentioned the UNDP Integrated National Financial Framework, which supports country-driven multi-stakeholder processes to enable financial flows to nationally-defined development goals for delivering climate adaptation and sustainable resource outcomes. Llopart highlighted the critical importance of involving and listening to local communities when creating partnerships. He underscored the role that UN agencies can play in legislative derisking for investments to take place in a safe environment.

Alvaro García, Advisor to the Finance Minister, Andorra, emphasized the importance of integrated policymaking, noting that being a mountain country means mountains must be at the heart of the national agenda and budgetary planning, not at its margins. Drawing on Andorra’s experience with accessing international financing, García outlined four key prerequisites for small countries to unlock finance: presenting a strong holistic project by seeking technical assistance when needed; acting at scale, especially for mountain projects that tend to be territorially fragmented; creating partnerships with private actors and local communities; and providing credibility by demonstrating a strong strategic commitment, steady policy framework and finances, and a sustainable development agenda.

Addressing the need for closing the investment gap, Mohammad Abdulaziz Al Naafa, Advisor to National Center for Vegetation Cover Development and Combating Desertification, Saudi Arabia, emphasized support for institutional capacity building, for instance by tailoring education programmes towards finance. He also outlined Saudi Arabia’s Executive Plan for Combating Desertification, Sand Encroachment, and Drought Mitigation with the objective of overseeing their national greening programme through coordination with government entities, the private sector, and non-profit organizations.

Matthias Jurek, Programme Management Officer, UNEP, raised the need for a transformative shift to scale up existing tools, instruments, and programmes like green/blue bonds and biodiversity credits. He also stressed that private-public partnerships must work with and benefit local communities, emphasizing that they play a key role in informing science with traditional knowledge to help decision making and project implementation. He highlighted the need for better monitoring to ensure projects are working towards global targets, and pointed to existing data gaps that must be closed to help with measuring progress.

In a video message, Kilian Jornet, mountain athlete and Founder of the Kilian Jornet Foundation, called for urgent investment in conservation, research, adaptation, and building resilience in local economies.

Anna Gonzalez Manjon, Scientific Manager, Kilian Jornet Foundation, highlighted the three pillars of their work: research, environmental education, and direct conservation action. She said that by operating close to the ground they can identify challenges and needs early on and co-design solutions with communities. She highlighted the important role that non-governmental organizations can play in acting as intermediaries with the public and private sector to help mobilize resources for local projects that are struggling to access finance. She noted that despite their small size, they provide immediate environmental and social impacts, and help support local stewardship.

Fostering Change in Mountains – Building Livelihoods, Agrifood Systems and Economies: This panel took place on Friday, and was moderated by Una Jones, Chief Executive Officer, Sustainable Fibre Alliance. She opened the discussion by stressing that building resilience and livelihoods requires a holistic approach and the empowerment of local communities, Indigenous Peoples, women, and youth.

Highlighting that mountains are transboundary by nature, Bakyt Dzhusupov, Ambassador and Coordinator of Economic and Environmental Activities, Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), stressed that collaboration is paramount for addressing environmental challenges. He drew attention to OSCE’s work in South Europe and Central Asia that supports transboundary networks working on fire management, illegal logging, renewable energy production, and strengthening women’s entrepreneurship skills.

David Okurut, Director, Environmental Affairs, Ministry of Water and Environment, Uganda, highlighting that East Africa contains some of the largest mountains in the world, outlined three dimensions that help improve livelihoods in mountainous areas and food security in the region: improving water access through the restoration of greater slopes and riverbanks; building climate resilience by restoring degraded ecosystems; and supporting ecotourism and climate-resilient agricultural practices. He highlighted a range of national policies and programmes that promote inclusive and sustainable income opportunities, including Operation Wealth Creation, which delivers technology and capacity in commercial agriculture to families for boosting household income.

Noting that 60% of her country is in the Alps, and 40% of their farms are considered mountain agriculture, Saskia Sanders, Senior Policy Advisor for Sustainable Food Systems, Federal Office for Agriculture, Switzerland, outlined their national policy on supporting mountain communities. She stressed that mountain agriculture not only produces food, but also delivers ecosystem services, landscape stewardship, and regional cohesion. This multifunctionality of mountain agriculture is enshrined in Switzerland’s constitution and is implemented through a policy that provides varying levels of support to different zones, depending on their challenges.

Reflecting on lessons learned from the projects that they’ve supported, Antonietta Cornacchia, Embassy of Italy in Spain, shared the insight that mountain economies are more resilient when support is not only linked to production, but also to inclusive value chains and market access. She highlighted projects supported through the Mountain Partnership Secretariat’s Business Incubator and Accelerator Programme, including those helping with communications and labelling to build awareness amongst consumers about the cultural heritage behind products. Cornacchia underscored that capacity building, involvement of the private sector, and long-term support are key to scaling successful mountain initiatives.

John Palacin, President, Agence des Pyrénées, gave an overview of their structure that brings together elected institutions and private sector actors across the region to build and support a bottom-up development vision. He explained that they act as a connector between global policies and local projects, offering financial and technical support to about 50 local projects a year. He stressed that the future of the mountains lies in their cultural heritage. While drawing attention to the positive impacts of technology on mountain activities through, among others, drone and satellite monitoring, Palacin explained that mountain areas offer also a feeling of wellbeing by providing a low-tech alternative to an otherwise very technologically connected life.

In the ensuing discussion, participants reflected on: the intrinsic, non-monetizable values and services that mountains offer; ways to support activities that escape the norm of industrial tourism; and the need to fight overcrowding and find a sustainable model for tourism.

Endorsement of Mountain Partnership Strategy Documents

On Friday, a session was held for the discussion and endorsement of the draft strategy documents. Ludovica Tancredi Martinelli, Mountain Partnership Steering Committee Chair, and Giorgio Grussu and Fabio Parisi, Mountain Partnership Secretariat, moderated the discussion and introduced the draft Governance, Advocacy and Communications Strategy documents to Members for consideration. The strategies cover the Partnership’s objectives and function for the years 2026-2030. The Governance Strategy describes the governing body and its mechanisms, while the Advocacy and Communications Strategies set priorities and a list of core messages and activities that Members can use. The documents underwent an inclusive online consultation process with three major revisions in the past year, incorporating hundreds of comments.

A proposed change in the Governance Strategy was the creation of a new membership category and the addition of a 19th seat in the Steering Committee for the private sector. While there was consensus on the importance of involving the private sector, several members raised concerns on singling out one category of the current global major group to include in the decision-making process. Proponents of the change noted that involving the private sector in the Steering Committee will enhance engagement and support. Others, however, highlighted that it is unclear which types of companies or associations will be represented and raised concerns regarding conflicts of interest. Members eventually decided against adding the new seat.

Regarding a clause in the Advocacy Strategy that stated that the Secretariat may remove Partnership Members that are inactive for a period exceeding three years, delegates agreed to revert the responsibility back to the Steering Committee. With minor amendments, the strategy documents were adopted by consensus.

Parallel Sessions

On Friday afternoon, two parallel sessions took place on the topics of youth advocacy, education, and early careers, and sustainable tourism in fragile mountain and island ecosystems.

Youth at the Table – Advocacy, Education, Early Careers: This session was moderated by Gobinda Bahadur Shahi, Executive Director, Karnali Integrated Rural Development and Research Centre (KIRDARC).

Paola Fontanella Pisa, Associate Academic Officer, UN University Institute for Environment and Human Security/Eurac Research, reflected on her work promoting intergenerational dialogues in mountain communities, bringing youth and elders together for translating knowledge from the past into strategies for the future. She emphasized that heritage is an active resource for resilience, and that when supported and rooted, youth can help mountain communities navigate uncertain futures. Pisa stressed the importance of investing in early career researchers as a long-term investment, particularly in times where the credibility of science is questioned.

Amos Amanubo, Africa Regional Coordinator, Global Landscapes Forum, shared four key reflections from his work with youth advocates in Africa: advocacy and knowledge sharing should be grounded in leadership and the lived realities of communities; the importance of reflecting on the dynamics of decision making and considering where and how decisions are made; the need for more work to demonstrate the importance of mountains beyond their borders on local, meso, and macro levels; and that building alliances with diverse capacities is crucial for long-term success.

Rocío Melina Garcia, Mountain Youth Hub, highlighted the opportunities the Hub provides to youth from different mountain regions to share their knowledge, engage in policy spaces, and impact decision making. She stressed that pressure from civil society is important for driving the conversation forward, and youth can be a strategic actor for driving messages into policy spaces. She said using digital tools and social media has been crucial for Hub members to remain connected despite geographical distances, helping them exchange knowledge and showcase the work of youth around the world.

Reflecting on the risk of tokenistic gestures, Lisa Cruz Lackner, President, Fórum de la Joventut d’Andorra, emphasized the importance of institutionalizing youth participation in meaningful ways, through opportunities to bring their experiences to the table and genuinely shape decision making. She highlighted that when talking about inclusive systems, access to processes may be difficult in mountain regions due to geographical distances. She stressed that rising costs of living are making it increasingly hard for young people to stay in mountain areas, threatening the future sustainability of mountain communities. 

Marcela Fernández, Founder, Cumbres Blancas, Colombia, stressed that restoration efforts should respect and activate local economies and increase their ownership to transform communities into guardians of their landscape. She emphasized the importance of multidisciplinary approaches that bring together science, art, activism, policymaking, and ancestral wisdom, and of applying nature-based solutions to environmental protection and restoration.

Drawing from her own STEM-based education, Inés Bafaluy, Member of the Student Parliament of Toulouse and Head of the Societal-Environmental Commission, France, underscored that STEM-trained youth are in a unique position to contribute to policy discussions as they are used to working with data, in uncertain environments, and with a focus on systemic solutions. She outlined three proposals to unlock youth potential: connect education with real mountain issues that communities are facing; link young people to decision makers through youth advisory groups and policy labs; and make mountain data open source to increase access from students and researchers. She reflected that “global action” is not just big declarations, but rather a collection of small actions that when connected become global movements.

In the ensuing discussion, several audience members expressed appreciation for the session. Many supported the idea of giving youth a seat in the Steering Committee, while others highlighted potential opportunities for building youth capacity within the Mountain Partnership.

Sustainable Tourism for Fragile Ecosystems – From Highlands to Islands: Paul Dargusch, Director, Monash University, moderated the discussion. He highlighted commonalities between mountains and islands in their physical and ecological vulnerability, but also on the importance of agrifood value chains for the livelihoods of their communities.

Antonio Padovani, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Latteplus, in collaboration with Alexandra Cinematografica and RAI television, produced “Heart Dressed,” a documentary following the Mountain Partnership Secretariat’s Fashion for Fragile Ecosystems initiative across four countries: Bhutan, Guatemala, Peru, and Kyrgyzstan. Introducing a teaser for a new documentary he hoped to produce in Fiji, Samoa, and the Solomon Islands, Padovani talked about the responsibility of filmmakers to disseminate important topics to the widest audience possible.

Niumata Kitiona Pogi, Chief Executive Officer, Samoa Tourism Authority, underscored that their experience with sustainable tourism was not only a policy choice, but a necessity for their survival and resilience. He outlined his country’s community-centered approach, grounded in their cultural values and incorporated into their way of life. Pogi underscored that the global shock of COVID-19 highlighted that sustainability must align with resilience by strengthening community capacity and skills, investing in climate-resilient infrastructure, and fostering strong regional collaboration. Reflecting on lessons learned from recovery following climate shocks and COVID-19, he highlighted efforts to encourage small businesses to think about long-term sustainability and incentivize insurances policies.

Promoting sustainable mountain activities and sports, Jan Cools, Research Coordinator, International Climbing and Mountaineering Federation, stressed the environmental impacts of large ski resorts. He described the Federation, which consists of local mountaineering groups promoting sustainable and resilient mountain sports that depend on and support small scale infrastructure and villages. He explained that professional guides and tourism companies are facing shocks from climate change impacts, such as increasingly smaller weather windows for climbing in certain regions and threats from landslides.

Christina Leala-Gale, Director of Sustainable Tourism, Pacific Tourism Organization, emphasized that COVID-19 marked a turning point for sustainable tourism in the Pacific region. Extensive post-COVID multi-stakeholder consultations resulted in a clear strategy that strives for inclusiveness, sector resilience, and benefits for local inhabitants. She underscored that women are at the heart of Pacific communities, leading gastronomy spaces, and family structures. She explained that when launching their Sustainable Tourism Policy Framework, they invited ministries to sign up to a Pacific Leader’s Sustainable Tourism Commitment, which has in turn become a channel for regional cooperation to address issues that are beyond the capabilities of a single country.

Pointing out that sustainable tourism requires sustainable food systems, Jimaima Lako, Pro-Vice Chancellor and Professor in Food Science, Fiji National University, described the process for establishing the Climate Smart Melanesia Indigenous Food Centre, which is, amongst other things, exploring how to incorporate local food systems into the tourism industry. She explained that part of the work has included setting up research hubs for analyzing food processing, value chains, and demand. Lako noted that the Centre’s work is done through partnerships with Indigenous Peoples and aims to address biodiversity loss and the retention of traditional knowledge related to food systems, thus furthering food sovereignty. Responding to a question on the activities of the Fiji National University on sustainable food systems, she outlined, among others, collaborations with Pacific and European universities on developing relevant curriculums, interventions on food waste, and ongoing work to support communities in seaweed production and market access.

In the ensuing discussion, participants reflected on how to raise awareness regarding mitigation and adaptation in coastal communities affected by sea level rise from melting glaciers, eliminating single-use plastics in the tourism sector, and obstacles that hinder domestic tourism growth in developing countries, including regional connectivity issues, lack of infrastructure, and lack of affordability.

Steering Committee Election

The election of the Steering Committee members for the next four-year term took place on Saturday morning, and was moderated by Ludovica Tancredi Martinelli, Chair of the Mountain Partnership Steering Committee, Italy, and Julia Wolf, Coordinator, Mountain Partnership Secretariat.

For the Asia and Pacific region, the government representative is Nepal and the Major Group representative is KIRDARC.

For Central Asia, the government representative is Kyrgyzstan and the Major Group representative is Anahita, with CAMP Alatoo as an alternate.

For Europe, the government representative is Andorra and the Major Group representative is Centro de Investigação de Montanha (CIMO).

For the Near East and North Africa, the government representative seat is vacant and the Major Group representative is the Coalition Civile pour la Montagne - Morocco.

For the North and Central American and Caribbean region, the government representative seat is vacant and the Major Group representative is the Aspen International Mountain Foundation (AIMF).

For South America, the government representative seat is shared between Chile and Peru, with Chile serving the first two years, and Peru the following two years. The Major Group representative for South America is Fundaciòn Agreste, with Research Center in Technologies for Society of the Universidad del Desarrollo as an alternate.

For Sub-Saharan Africa, the government representative is Uganda, with Malawi as an alternate, and the Major Group representative is the Albertine Rift Conservation Society (ARCOS), with the Foundation for Environment and Development (FEDEV) as an alternate.

For the Donor representative, delegates elected Italy. For the Global Civil Society Organization representative, they elected the International Climbing and Mountaineering Federation (UIAA), with the India Middle East Agri Alliance Ecosystem as an alternate. For the Intergovernmental Organization representative, they elected ICIMOD.

In its first meeting, the AIMF appointed Telluride Institute as alternative focal point for its seat. The Steering Committee appointed Italy as Chair. Kyrgyzstan was appointed First Vice Chair. The Standing Committee agreed that the Second Vice Chair will rotate, with ARCOS serving the first year, KIRDARC the second year, Coalition pour le Montagne the third, year, and ICIMOD the fourth year.

The Andorra Declaration

Noëlia Souque, Ambassador for Cross-border Cooperation, Andorra, presented the main outcome of the 7th Global Meeting of the Mountain Partnership, the Andorra Declaration, under the theme “Mountains for the Future: Responsible Tourism, Thriving Communities.” She highlighted that the Declaration reaffirms the high vulnerability of mountain peoples and ecosystems while underscoring mountains’ critical importance for people, livelihoods, and the planet.

The Declaration calls on the global community to intensify coordinated, inclusive, and accelerated action to address the challenges faced by mountain regions and fully realize their sustainable development potential. It builds on the momentum provided by the Five Years of Action for the Development of Mountain Regions (2023–2027) and highlights the relevance of key upcoming international observances, including the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists 2026, International Year of the Woman Farmer 2026, and International Year of Sustainable and Resilient Tourism 2027.

Through the Declaration, Members commit, among others, to:

• strengthen international efforts to advance holistic approaches to sustainable development;
• increase collaboration with key partners, initiatives and countries facing similar challenges in fragile and vulnerable ecosystems;
• promote sustainable, climate-resilient, and low-impact tourism;
• enhance capabilities and capacity building for observing and monitoring social-ecological changes and challenges in mountains; and
• empower Indigenous Peoples and local communities, women, youth, pastoralists, persons with disabilities, migrants, and internally displaced persons in mountain communities, through inclusive decision making, fair representation, and the recognition of traditional knowledge

Closing

Zhimin Wu, Assistant Director-General and Director, Forestry Division, FAO, thanked Andorra and the Secretariat for arranging and hosting the meeting, and expressed gratitude to Switzerland, Italy, and FAO for their financial and in-kind support. He praised the “inspiring, constructive, and meaningful” discussions, and the dynamic group of dedicated and passionate people committed to the future of the Partnership. He underscored the importance of the Andorra Declaration for informing and guiding forthcoming global processes, including the upcoming Bishkek+25 Global Mountain Summit in October 2027.

In her closing remarks, Imma Tor Faus, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Andorra, thanked the 150 Partnership Members, partners, and champions, representing 24 governments, 14 intergovernmental institutions, and numerous organizations that represent over 40 countries, for attending the meeting at the heart of the Pyrenees. She highlighted the importance of mountains for Andorra’s economy and identity, noting they are places of opportunity, but also of fragility. She urged action with foresight, solidarity, and a strong sense of shared responsibility.

Drawing attention to the crucial role mountains play for water security, food systems, and rural livelihoods, Tor Faus called for coordinated, transboundary, multistakeholder, and cross-sectoral collaboration. Reflecting on the discussions from the past days, she reiterated the importance of the Mountain Partnership for raising the profile of mountain regions across governance and decision-making processes to strengthen support for mountain communities in practical, sustained, and inclusive ways.

The meeting adjourned at 11.38 am.