|
Issue 35 - May 2009 '“Peak to Peak' is an opportunity to keep you up-to-date with the latest news, activities and events related to the Mountain Partnership. This newsletter, prepared by the Mountain Partnership Secretariat, is sent by e-mail to all members and other interested partners and can be read on-line at www.mountainpartnership.org Membership
As of May 2009 there are 163 members of the Mountain Partnership, 50 countries, 16 IGOs and 97 major group organizations (i.e. civil society, NGOs and the private sector). For information on their activities and contact details visit the members section of the Mountain Partnership web site www.mountainpartnership.org. Update on Partnership activitiesMountain Partnership event at the CSD 17 Partnerships Fair
The Mountain Studies Institute celebrates its accomplishments in 2007/08Mountain Partnership member the Mountain Studies Institute recently released the latest edition of The Benchmark, a summary report of the accomplishments made during 2007/08. The Mountain Studies Institute enhances the understanding and sustainable use of the San Juan Mountains of southwest Colorado. During 2007/08 MSI focused on stakeholder-driven science, a science that combines the needs of residents, policy-makers, politicians, natural resource managers, private businesses, and local scientists. The themes included climate variability and change, air quality, communities and land use transitions, water and snow, ecosystems and biodiversity. Programme highlights include a new Natural Resource Internship programme, an expanded educational workshop series called ‘Moving Mountains’, the international climate change research conference MTNCLIM 2008, studies on mercury, wetlands and climate in the San Juan region, and the San Juan Collaboratory – a new partnership among regional post-secondary and government institutions. The Sustainable Mountain Development Outreach Project
Indigenous Peoples Global Summit on Climate Change
Doug McGuire, Coordinator of the Mountain Partnership Secretariat, presented the Mountain Partnership to participants during a plenary session of the conference and explored ways that the Partnership could provide a setting in which to move these important issues forward in mountain regions. Given the fact that many mountain regions are inhabited by Indigenous Peoples and the severe impact climate change is having on mountains, the Mountain Partnership is moving rapidly to increase focus on this topic and develop new collaborative efforts for increased resilience and improved capacity for adaptation to climate change impacts in mountains. The “Anchorage Declaration“ is available in English, Spanish, French and Russian at http://www.indigenoussummit.com/servlet/content/declaration.html. The Global Initiative for Food Systems LeadershipThe Asian Chapter of the One Health Global Leadership Initiative for Food Systems Leadership was launched at a regional meeting, held 13-16 April in Ranikhet, India. The Mountain Partnership Secretariat Asia Pacific Decentralized Hub - present at the meeting- underlined how the sustainable mountain development agenda should be considered an essential part of the ecosystem integrity and interdependence concept. As a support in setting up a knowledge network, the Mountain Partnership Secretariat Asia Pacific hub was requested by the Asian Chapter members to share the Online Training modules on Advocacy for replication. The Pan Himalayan Grassroots Foundation, an India-based Mountain Partnership member from Uttarakhand, was delegated to act as an Interim Secretariat for the Asia region. The meeting allowed the Mountain Partnership Secretariat Asia Pacific Hub to establish close working relations with India based philanthropic societies such as the Ashoka Foundation and Sir Ratan Tata Trust, and FAO India. For further information visit: http://www.foodsystemsleadership.org Focus on EuropeCarpathian Biodiversity Days
Meeting of the Caucasus Cooperation Process
|
We wish to welcome a new member who has recently joined the Mountain Partnership, the Peruvian NGO Yachay Wasi. Yachay Wasi means “House of Learning“ in Runasimi (Quechua), the language of the Indigenous Peoples of Peru, descendants of the Inca civilization. Most of Yachay Wasi’s projects take place in the province of Acomayo, in the area of Cusco, and include water and sanitation and reforestation projects. Yachay Wasi is part of the UNEP Climate Neutral Network and has received a commemorative trophy in April 2009. In March 2009, Yachay Wasi also received an Earth Day Award from the Earth Society Foundation.
The Mountain Partnership Secretariat organized a special event at the Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD 17) Partnerships Fair at UN Headquarters in New York on 6 May entitled: ‘Promoting mountain economies: high value, high quality products for better lives’. The event featured presentations by several Mountain Partnership members who shared their experiences in promoting and assisting the development of quality products in several mountain regions throughout the world as a means to improve income and contribute to local economic development, while conserving the natural resource base. Presenters included representatives of The Mountain Institute (Bob Davis, CEO and Kathy Erteman, consultant artist) Dean's Beans Organic/Fair Trade Coffee Company (Dean Cycon, President), Practical Action (Alison Griffith, Head of International Markets and Livelihoods Programme) and Vista 360“ (Candra Day, President). The event was well attended and received positive feedback. Those who participated are now developing ideas of how to continue sharing experiences and possibly define joint activities in new areas that combine respective strengths and comparative advantages of MP members. 
In March, the Interim Secretariat of the Carpathian Convention organized in Vienna the “Carpathian Biodiversity Days“, comprising four meetings. The meeting of the Bureau of the Carpathian Convention took place on 2 March and focused on progress made since the second meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Carpathian Convention (COP2) (17-19 June 2008, Bucharest, Romania), on the work plan for the period 2009-2010 and on the future developments of the Carpathian Network of Protected Areas (CNPA). The 3rd Meeting of the Carpathian Convention Working Group on Biodiversity took place on 3 March. As mandated by COP2 (decision COP2/1 paragraph 3), the meeting had a first round of negotiations on the draft strategic action plan for the implementation of the Biodiversity Protocol (adopted and signed at COP2). In addition, the Carpathian EcoRegion Initiative (CERI) presented the progress and available outcomes of the “Carpathian Ecological Network“. On 4 March a joint meeting of the Carpathian Convention Working Group on Biodiversity and the Carpathian Network of Protected Areas (CNPA) Steering Committee was held, which focused on the latest activities and developments. The day ended with the 6th CNPA Steering Committee Meeting, in which the members agreed upon the steps needed to finalize the medium-term strategy for 2010-2015 and its implementation
The Environmental Reference Centre (ERC) at UNEP Vienna Office, upon invitation and support from the Italian Ministry of Environment through the European Academy EURAC - the Centre of Excellence under the Alpine Convention- and in partnership with the REC Caucasus, organized the meeting of government-nominated experts on the Caucasus Cooperation Process. The meeting took place on 28-29 April 2009 in Bolzano and was attended by experts from the Ministries of Environment and the Ministries of International Affairs of all the countries of the region, namely Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Islamic Republic of Iran, Russian Federation and Turkey, as well as observers from Caucasus regional and international scientific institutions. A representative of the Mountain Partnership Secretariat Central Hub was also present and made an intervention. The City of Bolzano, nominated Alpine city of the year, provided a welcoming atmosphere for a successful outcome of the meeting, which resulted in a joint statement, written by the governmental representatives in a true spirit of cooperation. The government-nominated experts reviewed a background paper and agreed on a number of areas eligible for intergovernmental cooperation, to be submitted for further consideration by the governments of the regions for moving the process forward. The delegations expressed the willingness to hold a follow-up meeting of government-nominated experts, so to prepare the ground for the proposed high level meeting in the Islamic Republic of Iran. 
In late 2008, the ERC of UNEP Vienna, in partnership with the UNEP Division of Early Warning and Assessment, initiated a process for the preparation of a “Dinaric Arc and Balkans Environment Outlook" (DABEO, or GEO for the Balkans). From 3-5 February, nine countries of the sub-region and international partners gathered in Tirana, for a meeting to determine the level of interest and identify motivations and the value of such reporting process. The countries and potential international/regional partners, including NGOs, expressed an interest and support for a DABEO reporting process that would facilitate work on trans-boundary issues avoiding duplication or additional workload.
The Move4Nature Teacher Training programme on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) in the Carpathians, is being developed by the ERC of UNEP Vienna in partnership with the Carpathian Sustainable Education Network (CASALEN - 
For the second time, organizations and people related to the paramos of the world, are joining efforts in order to organize and hold the event PARAMUNDI, 2nd Paramos World Congress, whose aim is to position paramos as a strategic ecosystem within the international, national and local areas, and to promote the definition of joint commitments and action strategies for their preservation and sustainable management. For further information visit: 
