Aspen to Host Delegates From Mountain Nations For UN Event

Delegates from mountain countries around the world will convene in Aspen on Sept. 26-29 to attend the Sixth Global Meeting of the Mountain Partnership, the main event of the “International Year of Sustainable Mountain Development 2022.”

The Mountain Partnership is the only United Nations voluntary alliance of partners dedicated to mountain peoples and environments, with over 450 members from 96 countries, including national and local governments, intergovernmental organizations, NGOs, private sector businesses and nonprofits.

The UN declared 2022 as the “International Year of Sustainable Mountain Development.” The Global Meeting in Aspen will be the culmination of the year’s efforts to place sustainability and the resilience of mountain ecosystems and communities at the center of international processes, policies and investments within the framework of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The theme of the meeting is “Mountains Matter: Ideas to Action, Building Alliances for Resilient Mountains.” Mountain Partnership delegates will share action plans to protect mountains and will set the organization’s agenda and high-level advocacy goals for the next four years. The meeting will be conducted in English, French, Russian and Spanish.

“This is an opportunity for Mountain Partnership delegates and dignitaries from all over the world to network and forge meaningful relationships with representatives from our communities, businesses, educational institutions and governments in Colorado and throughout North America,” says Eric Smith, vice president of the Aspen International Mountain Foundation.

Gov. Jared Polis will be in Aspen on Tuesday morning, Sept. 27, to welcome members to the event. Sen. Michael Bennet, Sen. John Hickenlooper and U.S. Rep. Joe Neguse plan to participate virtually.

Other high-level attendees at this event will include Colorado State University Interim President Dr. Rick Miranda and key representatives of the International Union for Conservation of Nature, the UN Environment Programme, International Climbing and Mountaineering Federation and the Outdoor Industry Association.

The Global Meeting in Aspen is being co-hosted by the state of Colorado, the Aspen Institute, the city of Aspen and the nonprofit organizing the event, the Aspen International Mountain Foundation. Colorado recently became the first state in the nation to join the Mountain Partnership. The city of Aspen joined in 2010, making it the first U.S. government member.

In addition to member plenary sessions, there will be a welcome reception, an evening concert and daily side events for delegates and the public on topics relating to sustainability, tourism and economic development, climate change, disaster mitigation, alternative energy, energy efficiency and water conservation.

“With less than eight years to the expiration of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, it is necessary to accelerate solutions to the biggest challenges in mountains. We need investments and policies to combat the effects of climate change and to improve mountain livelihoods,” adds Roberto Natali, plenipotentiary minister and directorate general for development cooperation with the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and chair of the Mountain Partnership Steering Committee. 

The plenary meetings are limited to Mountain Partnership members. The daily side events are open to delegates and the public. All side events and exhibits will be held at the Aspen Meadows Resort campus.

Passes to the side events and exhibits, the plenary meetings and the banquet are being offered beginning September 1 to members of the media, students and the general public. Passes to the plenary meetings are limited based on available space and for observation only. To learn more, go to the passes page on the MountainsMattersAspen.com website.

On Sept. 29, the meeting will culminate with a public forum hosted by the Aspen Institute featuring a keynote address and panel discussions with high-level experts and dignitaries from throughout North America and globally.

The full schedule of public side events will be available September 1 on the event website — https://www.mountainsmatteraspen.com.

By: The Aspen Times Staff I Aspen Times  I August 2022