INTERNATIONAL CENTRE FOR
INTEGRATED MOUNTAIN DEVELOPMENT
In the occasion of the 2002
International Year of MOUNTAINS presents the:
HIGH SUMMIT VIDEOCONFERENCE
PRESS RELEASE
6 May 2002, Kathmandu. A unique departure in
global happenings during the International Year of Mountains, the
High Summit 2002 is taking place from 6-10 May in Asia, Africa,
Europe, and South America. Over 500 researchers, academicians,
policy-makers, and development experts will discuss key mountain
development issues in four different cities amidst the world's
highest mountain ranges - Kathmandu, Nairobi, Milan, and Mendoza.
The papers to be discussed are online at www.highsummit.org to allow
a virtual audience to e-mail in their questions. One can also
follow the daily discussions on the internet, on the special web
side www.asiahs.org where the Asian Conference is live webcasted
and a chat service is active.
The International Centre for
Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) is organising
the Asia High Summit. ICIMOD maintains important linkages
with mountain regions of the world through the Mountain
Forum network and with other Asian mountain regions
through the Asia Pacific Mountain Network (APMN). The
mountain ranges of Asia, the world's largest continent,
differ in the state of their socio-economic development,
natural resources management, infrastructure, women's
empowerment, urbanisation, and various other aspects. Yet
most mountain populations are mired in poverty and
increasing marginalisation due to their isolation and
complex ecosystems. As Asian policymakers are in general
from the lowlands, countries that are predominantly
mountainous need to consider adopting mountain specific
policies. For others, it is important for governments to
incorporate, within their national policies, special
provisions that address the concerns of mountain
communities.
Conceived by the Italian Committee for the IYM,
the High Summit's daily highlight will be a one-hour common time,
half-an-hour longer on the final day, High Summit News. During
this time each regional conference will be able to interact
through video conferencing and share key findings and issues with
one another. The conference seeks to draw attention to the
challenges of poverty and degradation of resources faced by
mountain people and to recommend how to improve mountain life. It
also aims to facilitate transboundary cooperation and help frame
policies that contribute to protecting mountain environments.
A global policy document and four regional policy
documents with supporting guidelines will be produced at
the end of the conference. These will feed into the
crowning IYM global mega event, the Global Mountain
Summit www.globalmountainsummit.org
to be held from 28 October - 1 November in Bishkek,
Kyrgyzstan, and the other global IYM events, such as the
World Summit on Sustainable Development from 26 August -
4 September inJohannesburg, Celebrating Mountain Women
from 1 -4 October in Thimpu, and others. The High Summit
is expected to make a significant contribution to
promoting Chapter 13 of Agenda 211 the first global call
for sustainable development of mountain regions.
The UN Food and Agriculture Grganisation (FAO), lead agency
for the IYM, and the Italian National Committee for the IYM are
the principal sponsors of the High Summit. Organisers in the
other continents include the UN Environmental Programme (UNEP) in
Nairobi, Kenya, Centro Regional de Investigaciones Cientificas y
Tecnologlcas (CRICYT) in Mendoza, Argentina, and Italian
Committee for the IYM Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Region of
Lombardy in Italy.
or contact:
Ms. Armila C. Shakya, Coordinator International Year of
Mountains/Overall
Coordinator Asia High Summit
Ms. Moushumi Chaudhury, Assistant Coordinator Asia High
Summit
E-mail: ashakva@.icimod.or.Cl.np
mchaudhurv@.icimod.or.Cl.np Phone: 525317
(ext. 677/688)
ICIMOD
INTERNATIONAL CENTRE FOR INTEGRATED MOUNTAIN DEVELOPMENT
Mail: Po 0. Box 3226, Kathmandu, Nepal
Office: Jawalakhel, Lalitpur (Kathmandu)
Cable: ICIMOD, Kathmandu, Nepal
Tel: 977-1-525313
Fax: 977-1-524509/536747
e-mail : icimod@icimod.org.np
Homepage: www.icimod.org
