International Mountain Partnerships

Transcription

1 International Mountain Partnerships

2 I M P R E S S U M Medieninhaber und Herausgeber / Editor: Lebensministerium Gesamtkoordination und Konzeption / Coordination and Conception: DI Irene Brendt, Ass. jur. Anna-Luise Stille Lebensministerium, Abt. V/9 Büro des Österreichischen Vorsitzes der Alpenkonvention Bildnachweis / Picture credits: Titel: Mountain Partnership Secretariat, 2x S. Cuypers, S. Reppe Seite 6: 2x S. Reppe, A. Zambon, I. Brendt Seite 8: BMLFUW Seite 9, 22, 40: UNEP Vienna Seite 10, 29: A. Götz Seite 11: A. Stille Seite 12: I. Brendt Seite 14: S. Cuypers Seite 17, 18, 19, 42: Mountain Partnership Secretariat Seite 20, 23: EURAC Seite 25, 31: A. Gunya Seite 27: S. Reppe Seite 33, 34, 35, 36: N. Kirvalidse Layout: DI Irene Brendt Druck / Print: AV + Astoria Druckzentrum GmbH Wien 2006

3 Preface Mountains cover around one third of the surface of the earth and are inhabited by around one tenth of the world population. They are particularly sensitive ecosystems and supply us with significant resources such as water and timber. Therefore they require special commitment for their protection and sustainable development. Though mountains differ extensively around the world, they also have many shared features, and mountain regions can mutually learn through an exchange of experiences. For the Alps, the Alpine Convention and its protocols are the most significant basis for their preservation and international collaboration. The Ministers of the countries party to the Alpine Convention decided during the 7th Alpine Conference 2002 to take their experiences from the Alpine process to the "International Partnership for sustainable development in mountain regions". It was set up in 2002 at the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg and further developed at the "Global Mountain Summit" in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. The further development of existing mountain partnerships is also included in the Multi-Annual Work Programme of the Alpine Conference. This brochure regarding the special event organised for the third time by the Austrian Presidency of the Alpine Convention in Bozen provides an overview of existing activities of the member countries with the mountain regions of the Carpathians, Caucasus and Central Asia (Tian Shan, Pamir). This brochure should also give impulse for further collaboration within the framework of the International Mountain Partnerships and trigger the extension of these activities with other mountain regions in the world. Josef Pröll Minister for Environment Special Event in Bolzano 3

4 Content Introduction 5 Speeches 6 Activities of the Alpine Convention in other mountain regions Silvia Reppe, Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Protection and Nuclear Safety, Germany 7 Aims of the International Mountain areas cooperation: from Johannesburg to Mountain Partnership Dr. Wolfgang Burhenne, IUCN 12 The Mountain Partnership and Regional Cooperation Douglas McGuire, Coordinator of the Mountain Partnership, Rome 16 Legal and institutional framework for the cooperation of mountain regions Harald Egerer, UNEP/Interim secretary of the Carpathians Convention, Vienna 21 Villages' Network Building Experience on the example of the Alliance of Central Asian Mountain Communities Ishenbek Musahodjaev, President AGOCA 26 Sustainable Village Development - Caucasus experience Nato Kirvalidse, REC Caucasus 32 Sustainable development of the mountains, a process of sharing experiences Pier Carlo Sandei, EURAC 39 Summary 44 4 Special Event in Bolzano

5 Introduction The 7th Alpine Conference held in 2002 in Meran expressed a favourable opinion about the inclusion of the experiences from the Alpine process in the "International Partnership for the sustainable development in Mountain regions", that was established in 2002 in Johannesburg. In 2004, the 8th Alpine Conference welcomed the existing mountain partnerships with the Carpathians, the Caucasus and Central Asia and called for further initiatives. The adhesion of the Alpine Convention to the International Mountain Partnership was taken into consideration and the Permanent Secretariat of the Alpine Convention was asked to take charge of the collaboration with the Temporary Secretariat of the Carpathian Convention. Experiences from the Alpine process should be shared when drafting the Caucasus Convention. The further development of existing mountain partnerships is also included in the Multi-Annual Work Programme of the Alpine Conference region, mountain partnerships already exist between these mountain areas and the Alps. The special event will provide an overview about existing activities of the contracting parties with respect to international collaboration between mountain regions, but will also provide impetus for the medium-term configuration of collaboration in the Alpine Convention as well as with the International Mountain Partnership. The Permanent Secretariat of the Alpine Convention has now joined the International Partnership. A first contribution by the Alpine Convention was the support to the International Conference about the "Role of local (self)- administration in sustainable development" held in November 2005 in Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan). Representatives from the mountain regions of the Alps, the Carpathians, Caucasus, Central Asia and Altai met to exchange experiences. With the exception of the Altai Special Event in Bolzano 5

6 Speeches 6 Special Event in Bolzano

7 Activities of the Alpine Convention in other mountain regions Ladies and Gentlemen, Dear Colleagues from the various mountain regions and mountain partnership projects, It is a special pleasure to me to introduce today a theme that I personally have at heart and that (in my opinion) is one of the real success stories of the Alpine Convention. I'll just briefly look back over the history: The International Year of Mountains 2002 was the occasion worldwide to give a look at the special role of mountain regions in the general ecosystem of the earth, as well as to the significance of the mountains for water supply, biodiversity preservation and as living and economic spaces for the people in the mountain regions. The most important - but also the most difficult - task is to harmoniously combine the protection of the sensitive ecosystem in the mountain regions with a reasonable economic development (as an example, agriculture, traffic, tourism, electricity, infrastructures). Furthermore, mountain regions many time cross borders and are therefore particularly sensitive from a political viewpoint. Their sustainable development therefore also requires the international cooperation of neighbouring countries in all the relevant sectors. This is the context in which there was also a serious concern for the threat to many mountain ecosystems represented by human activities, climate changes and other factors. Due to the lack of economic development, poverty in the mountain regions is growing. Armed conflicts and refugee movements make the situation even worse. At the world summit for sustainable development held in Johannesburg in 2002, "International Partnerships for the sustainable development in mountain regions" were started, whose objective is the exchange of experiences between the mountain regions and also transfers of funds for the promotion of mountain areas. At the Global Mountain Summit held at the end of the International Year of Mountains in November 2002 in Bishkek/ Kyrgyzstan this initiative was strengthened and further developed. The Alpine Convention and the process of its establishment show how sustainable development can be organised in mountain regions across borders. The integration approach of the Alpine collaboration from environment and nature protection to regional, economic and social development up to common cultural activities, can be an example for the strengthening of citizen participation and democracy, for sustainable progress from an environmental, economic and social viewpoint and for international collaboration supported by solidarity and responsibility in mountain regions. At the 7th Alpine Conference, held in 2002 in Meran, the ministers of the member states of the Alpine Convention already clearly declared their intent to take the experiences from the Alpine process to the "International Partnership for the sustainable development in mountain regions". This commitment is particularly focused on the mountain regions of the Carpathians, Caucasus and Central Asia, with which collaboration already exists. The 8th Alpine Conference of 2004 in Garmisch-Partenkir- Special Event in Bolzano 7

8 chen strengthened this decision and included the mountain partnership initiative in the Multi- Annual Work Programme of the Alpine Conference (MAP) from 2005 to Through environmental protection, contribution will be provided also to safety, stability and the development of international collaboration in mountain regions which are particularly sensitive in political terms, such as Caucasus. From the previous process in the Alpine Region there arises the question whether there is a possibility to transfer and utilize these experiences in other mountain regions of the earth. The Alps, a mountain chain in the middle of the high developed economic area of Western Europe, can they be compared to other mountains in other parts of the earth? Hot issues for the Alps, such as traffic, do not exist or do not represent the same problems in Caucasus or Central Asia. However, this also offers the chance to steer the economic development as well as spatial planning and infrastructure actions in the appropriate direction. It is worth highlighting that the Alpine Convention cannot be simply transplanted as such, but that a detailed analysis of the actual situation and problems of the relevant mountain regions is necessary. Starting from this, a specific approach for the development of tools for the mountain politics of the region can be derived. Experiences from the Alpine process show that local and regional actions for the sustainable development in mountain regions are to be preferred to global approaches. These principles include the responsibility of governments, the involvement of towns and the general public, the establishment of networks across borders, the role of science as well as the commitment of all other countries. High pollution levels as caused by increased traffic in the Alps is still not a problem in other mountain areas. The exchange of experiences must be carried out at very different levels: between the Ministries and Authorities of the Alpine states and the states of other mountain regions Non governmental organisations, in particular with the involvement of the International Commission for Alpine Protection CIPRA. The networks across borders that exist in the Alps communities (communities network Alliance in the Alps ) Alpine protected areas Alpine cities scientific facilities (Alpine research) can contribute to the establishment of similar networks in other mountain regions. In this context member states, non governmental organisations and networks of the Alpine convention have started and implemented concrete projects in these three mountain regions since The projects, that we are currently promoting in the three mountain regions, are 8 Special Event in Bolzano

9 therefore oriented to stimulate and support local processes. The focus is sustainable development in consideration of the conditions of the mountain regions as they really are and close collaboration with the inhabitants and mountain towns. In order to improve in the long term the living conditions of the people in underdeveloped mountain regions, local priorities are taken into consideration, such as the regional economic situation, sustainable resource management, agriculture, water management, nature protection and natural hazards, self-help. Therefore, in the Carpathians, the establishment of a network of protected areas is promoted locally. The know-how for this is ensured by the communities network Alliance in the Alps and the International Alpine Commission CIPRA. The objective is to develop in the long term, following the successful model of the communities network in the Alps, a collaboration across borders between mountain villages. With the setting up of the Alliance of Central Asian Mountain Communities (AGOCA) in Bohemian gentian (Gentianella praecox bohemica), a very rare plant of the Carpathians. 2003, significant progress has already been achieved. In 2006 it already has around 30 members from Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Kazakhstan. Within the framework of the Caucasus Mountain partnership project, 8 pilot towns in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Russia receive support to draft for their villages a sustainable development programme according to the "local agenda 21" model. In the long term, these must represent the core of a cross-border communities network in Caucasus. Our initiatives within the framework of the mountain partnership are therefore oriented towards experience exchange, and transfer of know-how from the Alpine regions to the mountain regions of the Carpathians, Caucasus and towards Central Asia. It is obvious that also collaboration between the three mountain regions of the Carpathians, Caucasus and Central Asia can provide some added value. The example of the creation of a network of towns particularly emphasises this. In the Alps, the communities network is a cross-border agreement of around 150 towns in the whole Alpine chain, which ensures very tangible contribution for the sustainable development in the Alpine area and makes use of year-long experiences. These experiences have already flowed towards Central Asia. In Central Asia, the Alliance of Central Asian Mountain Communities was established in 2003 and can already present a wide range of activities for the improvement of the social and economic standards of life in the mountain regions. Special Event in Bolzano 9

10 will be achieved this year. Common initiatives of the members, non governmental organisations and networks will be added to the activities of single member states or groups of member states and/or NGOs. This will essentially increase the effectiveness of the Mountain Partnership initiative, and the international visibility of the Alpine Convention. During a workshop, held in Kyrgyzstan with some 20 participants from several countries in Central Asia, a house was insulated using the materials to hand (a project by the Swiss Development and Co-Operation Directorate). In Caucasus, the way towards a cross-border villages network was paved with the first eight pilot villages. Caucasus villages can learn from both the advanced experiences of the Alpine regions, as well as from the Alliance of Central Asian Mountain Communities, that started from similar premises to Caucasus. In the Carpathians, the creation of a cross-border town network is still at the early stages; experiences from the three mountain regions Alps/Central Asia/Caucasus could be useful here. Within the framework of the Alps-Carpathians Partnership, experiences were no longer exchanged on a local level, but at government level. The result is the Carpathian Convention, that was signed by the ministries in 2003 at the conference "Umwelt für Europa", which has since come into force. The Network of Protected Areas in the Carpathians is being built with the specialist support of the Network of Alpine Protected Areas, and the support of the member states of the Alpine Convention. With the decision, that the Alpine Convention joins the "Mountain Partnership", new quality What are the essential criteria of "our" mountain partnership projects, that make success likely: Year long experiences from the Alpine process can be made available. Local/regional processes are supported. Help to self-help (Training) is the main object. With a relatively low budget a sustainable effect is achieved. Partnership projects link all the pillars of sustainability (ecology, economics, social issues) with the addition safety and stability aspects. An actual improvement of the conditions of life of inhabitants and mountain towns is achieved. Also in politically sensitive mountain regions, a cross-border collaboration is possible, as well as networking at local/regional level What was started in 2002 in Johannesburg and Bishkek as pure theory, has already brought its concrete fruits in Further networking of our Mountain Partnership initiatives will substantially support the sustainable development in other mountain regions. In the long term, local and regional approach also strengthened 10 Special Event in Bolzano

11 the cross-border collaboration of the states of these mountain regions (bottom-up approach). This will be a fundamental premise for the successful definition of other mountain conventions, like the Caucasus convention, currently under way. Silvia Reppe, Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Protection and Nuclear Safety, Berlin, Germany Focal point Germany for the Alpine Convention, committed and expert "Mountain partner" A view of the Tien Shan in Balaaiylchi, Kyrgyzstan. Collaboration between Alps, Altai, Carpathian, Caucasus and Central Asia (Pamir, Tien Shan) Mountain villages conference Bishkek 2005 (A, CH, D, F, FL, I, SL, Cipra International, communities network "Alliance in the Alps") Special Event in Bolzano 11

12 Aims of the International Mountain areas cooperation: from Johannesburg to Mountain Partnership The agenda says "since Johannesburg", but we must start from the Agenda 21 which took many hours over a number of weeks, including nights, to prepare. Agenda 21 1 has a chapter dedicated to mountain areas; I will come back to that later. First I must say that we have a body of the United Nations, the Commission for Sustainable Development (CSD), which was established specifically to monitor, check and drive the implementation of Agenda 21. Even in this forum, mountain issues are repeatedly tackled, for example because of the Report of the Secretary General of the United Nations 2. Given the scarce time available, I will do my best to especially analyse the resolutions and the decisions. All the documents of the United Nations are in English and French, of course, because these are some of the official languages, and they are also of relevance for the Alpine Convention. The German language office at the United Nations was so friendly in some cases - I have repeatedly pushed for this - that, together with Agenda 21, at least even the resolutions that concern mountain areas are translated into German as a priority. This was a problem for Agenda 21 for a long time, even just for the size of the Document. Agenda 21 is devoting a special section to sustainable development in mountain areas. We did not have any official translation; just various, partially poor texts, that in addition had also not been harmonized among the German speaking countries such as Switzerland, Austria and Germany. Today, for these countries, we have an official translation which has been published in a collection that I edited for the Implementation of Sustainable Development 1a with the relevant documents on sustainability. Many resolutions of course contain repetitions, to highlight what has not been implemented. In addition, the reference to previous decisions is in line with the character of international resolutions. One thing is very important: with Agenda 21 these issues are now also included for the whole world in the Millennium Declaration of 1 A/RES/47/190; 1992; UN/GA: Agenda 21, Chapter 13 1a German Translation: Beiträge zur Umweltgestaltung (BzU), Vol. 155, Erich Schmidt Verlag (Berlin) 2 E/CN.17/1995/5; 1995; Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD): "Sustainable mountain development", Report of the Secretary-General eral 12 Special Event in Bolzano

13 the UN and in the process of the monitoring of its implementation. Therefore, this set of issues is always on the agenda with international bodies. For all the relevant texts and decisions that have been mentioned there are references in the footnotes; this is a list of the relevant documents so that, in the event of need, it is possible to request one or the other. As I said, Agenda 21 is an exhaustive document, issued in 1992 by the 47th United Nations General Assembly meeting following a proposal that had been drafted in Rio. Then there was a first Report 3 with indication of a Coordination Programme, in which also Germany and Italy are mentioned, with their attempts to start something in the field of mountain areas. However, the Alpine Convention was not mentioned in UN documents for a long time. The Permanent Committee dealt with this a couple of years ago, but I will come back to this later. Secretary General of the UN 4, a first resolution on the preparation of the International Year of Mountains 5 with specific reference to ecosystems in mountain areas. Another resolution followed 6. Governments have made the relevant preparations and mountain towns have taken relevant initiatives. There is no need for me to describe them, since I can assume that everything is already known. The United Nations General Assembly then asked the Secretary General to submit a report about the implementation of the International Year of Mountains at the 57th GA. At the 56th meeting he only gave a report to the CSD 7, which mentioned what had already been achieved for the implementation of Agenda 21 as well as "Future Trends". The Second Committee of the GA in charge dealt with this issue carefully 8 and submitted a resolution (that was issued by the General Assembly on ). Actions were requested with respect to mountains, but the Alpine Convention was not mentioned again. In , corresponding to the Year of the Mountains, there followed a series of decisions which are partly connected with the request that the governments concerned should make the necessary preparations for this programme. There were exhaustive reports of the In the note of the Secretary General of it was possible to read for the first time, that in Europe there are 16 national Committees and in addition there was a specific part 25 stating what had happened with respect to the Alpine Convention, what parts are in force and what 3 E/CN.17/1997/2/Add.12; 1997; CSD: sustainable mountain development (Report of the GS) 4 E/1998/68; 1998; ECOSOC: Proclamation of an Internat. Year of the Mountains (Programme) 5 A/RES/53/24; 1998; UN/GA: 2002 as the International Year of the Mountains 6 A/RES/55/189; 2000; Vorbereitungen für das Internationale Jahr der Berge, einschlägige Bestimmungen der Agenda 21, Ökosysteme von Berggebieten und deren nachhaltige Bewirtschaftung (Preparations for the International Year of the Mountains, relevant provisions in Agenda 21, Ecosystems in Mountain Regions and their sustainable economic utilization) 7 E/CN.17/2001/PC/14; 2001; "Sustainable Mountain Development" UNIC/440; A/57/531/Add.5; 2002; International Year of the Mountains 2002, Report of the Second Committee 9 A/RES/57/245; 2002; Year of the Mountains: International Partnership for sustainable development in Moun-tain regions, Bishkek platform for mountain regions, interim report for the Internat. Year of the Mountains 10 E/2003/61; A/58/134; 2003; Sustainable mountain development (International Year of the Mountains) Special Event in Bolzano 13

14 The Resolution of the UN General Assembly 13 of is aimed at solving social, economic and environmental problems in poor mountain areas. In 2005 the Secretary General drafted an In 2003, the Alpine Convention was mentioned for the first time in a UN report. had already been implemented. For example, the Berchtesgaden Declaration is also mentioned there. It was also the first time that an exhaustive report about the Alpine Convention was given. This led to another debate at the Second Committee and then in the General Assembly in 2003 with a note on the Alpine and the Carpathians Convention, as well as on the meaning of mountain areas in general. The final wording of the Resolution 11 in part 7 shows the style of the German delegation that, as the country holding the Presidency, gave special importance to this text. At the time the GA decided, that the finance programme, that had been initiated by the UN, should also concern the developing countries with mountain areas and those regions in countries that are experiencing an economic change. This resolution includes many viewpoints that require implementation 12. exhaustive report 14 in which, on 1.5 pages, the Alpine Convention was accurately described. Among other things, it was also mentioned that the contracting countries to the Alpine Convention had requested that the Alpine Convention is accepted in the UN Treaty register. In a footnote of the draft resolution of the Second Committee it is mentioned that this was then the case (United Nations Treaty Series Vol Nr ). This year the CSD met again on 1-12 May in New York. According to its task, it dealt again with the implementation of Agenda 21, this time specifically in the field of energy economics. Chapter III of the Secretary General's report 15 also deals with sustainable development and the economy of mountain areas. With respect to this, it is also worth mentioning the specific reports about partnerships for sustainable development 16/17. The Alpine Convention and its protocols, as they have been drafted, cannot therefore be implemented 1:1 in other mountain regions. There are very similar, but also very different occurrences and problems, that must also be solved differently. 11 A/RES/58/216; ; Sustainable mountain developmentains) 12 A/RES/59/238; 2004; Hilfe für arme Gebirgsländer zur Überwindung von Hindernissen auf sozio-ökonomischem und ökologischem Gebiet (Support for poor Mountain regions to overcome obstacles in socio-economic and ecological fields) 13 A/60/309; 2005; Sustainable mountain development, Report of the Secretary-General 14 A/RES/60/198; A/60/488/Add.5; 2005; Sustainable development: sustainable mountain development; render-ing assitance to poor mountain countries to overcome obstacles in socio-economic and ecological rates 15 E/CN.17/2006/2; 2006; Overview of progress towards sustainable development: a review of the implementa-tion of Agenda 21, the Programme for the further Implementation of Agenda 21 and the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation 16 E/CN.17/2006/6; 2006; Partnerships for sustainable development 17 E/CN.17/2006/8; 2006; Implementation of Sustainable Development Goals 14 Special Event in Bolzano

15 The reports of the Secretary General of the United Nations and the discussion in the competent bodies are therefore of particular significance, since they are not useful to the delegates of countries with mountain regions, but also to the delegates of countries that are strictly connected to Alpine countries because of many aspects such as tourism and water supply. My opinion is that what has been developed here is, for example, that the procedure we have established for the monitoring committee is new and unique, but still widely unknown. These experiences should be mentioned, so that they lead to mutual exchange of experiences. One opportunity for example is a contribution to the newly published monthly communication journal "Multilateral Environment Agreements". However, I am ready to answer all questions and give more detailed information. I would have preferred to present something different from a rather dry report, but the representative of the country holding the presidency wanted a chronological overview of the debates in the UN. It is not possible to please everyone, but at least it cannot be said that no information was provided on all the relevant discussions. Dr. Wolfgang Burhenne, IUCN, Bonn, Germany Doyen of the Alpine Process, Co-Founder and first Secretary General of CIPRA, well-known expert of international environmental law I also believe that, every year, the leading country of the Alpine Convention - this cannot be done by the Secretariat - should submit a report to the Secretary General of the United Nations about what has been achieved and the existing issues. In addition to this, the Secretariat should have documentation on all the decisions of the United Nations, the European Union and the other institutions that are of significance for our activity. What I have depicted here is, of course, not final or exhaustive information. For that, there was not time and hopefully not even the necessity. Special Event in Bolzano 15

16 The Mountain Partnership and Regional Cooperation The Mountain Partnership: A new approach to development The Mountain Partnership is an evolving, voluntary alliance of partners dedicated to improving the well-being, livelihoods and opportunities of mountain people and the protection and stewardship of mountain environments around the world. The Mountain Partnership taps the wealth and diversity of resources, knowledge, skills and expertise of its members to support positive change in mountain areas. The Mountain Partnership was launched at the World Summit on Sustainable Development in September Commitment to the Mountain Partnership has increased rapidly at the country, regional and international levels and concrete action is now underway to improve the lives of mountain people and protect mountain environments around the world. By April 2006, 47 countries, 14 intergovernmental organizations and 75 major groups (e.g. civil society, NGOs, private sector) had already joined the Mountain Partnership. A Mountain Partnership Secretariat, with financial support from the governments of Italy and Switzerland, is hosted by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and has the direct involvement of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). The Mountain Partnership intends to build on the successes of the International Year of Mountains (2002) and improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the implementation of Chapter 13, Agenda 21 and to promote, inter alia, joint initiatives based on paragraph 42 of the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation and other related instruments regarding mountains, by enhancing on-the-ground action and by working at the policy, programme and project levels. Specific Partnership Initiatives have been identified by members and are focussing on priority areas of action, such as education, gender, policy and law, research, sustainable livelihoods, sustainable agriculture and rural development in mountains (SARD-M) and watershed management. Additionally, geographicallyfocussed Initiatives have been launched and are operational in the Andes, Central America and the Caribbean, Central Asia, East Africa, Europe and the Hindu Kush Himalaya. These Initiatives will be followed by others, as new priority areas, thematic and geographic, are identified. Linkages between Partnership Initiatives are being encouraged at the local, national, regional and global levels, with members entering into specific initiatives according to their priorities, needs and capacities. 16 Special Event in Bolzano

17 The Mountain Partnership Secretariat encourages information flow, knowledge sharing and brokerage between its members and their initiatives. In the period leading to CSD14, the Mountain Partnership Secretariat has expanded the outreach of its monthly e-newsletter, 'Peak to Peak' (600 current subscribers) in the Partnership and beyond, as well as re-launching the Mountain Partnership Web site (all available in English, French and Spanish). Its new design and layout features improved navigation and refined search tools to enable members to access relevant information resources, knowledge and communication tools related to the Mountain Partnership in particular and sustainable mountain development in general. In particular, the Web site includes databases on members and their Partnership Initiatives; a funding database to assist members identify sources of funding for activities that would support sustainable mountain development; and an on-line discussion area in members can post documentation, exchange experiences and good practices, identify common areas of collaboration and plan joint activities within Initiatives. The Secretariat has also arranged, in collaboration with the Mountain Forum, two global e- consultations for members between June- December 2005 (e-consultation on Biodiversity Conservation in the Hindu-Kush Himalaya (22 August October 2005); e-consultation on the Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development in Mountains (SARD-M) Initiative (17-21 October 2005). Both these e-consultations helped members identify priorities and define policy and working arrangements for future collaborative activities in these focus areas. Another key activity of the Secretariat has been col- Mountains in Ecuador laboration with the European Academy (EURAC) in its creation of a repository of knowledge on its Web site to promote a broad discussion among members on legal instruments, tools and methodologies that focus on mountain areas. The Mountain Partnership and the Alpine Convention At present, countries that are members of both the Alpine Convention and the Mountain Partnership include Austria, France, Italy, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Slovenia and Switzerland. Some of the key non-governmental organizations from Alpine countries that are members of the Mountain Partnership include: Centre for Alpine Ecology (CEA) Club Arc Alpin EUROMONTANA European Academy (EURAC) Special Event in Bolzano 17

18 European Association of Elected Representatives from Mountain Areas (AEM) European Observatory of Mountain Forests (EOMF) Ev-K²-CNR Committee Federal Institute for Less-Favoured and Mountainous Areas (BABF) Fondazione Courmayeur Foundation for Sustainable Development in Mountain Regions (FDDM) International Commission for the Protection of the Alps (CIPRA) International Scientific Committee on Research in the Alps (ISCAR) Italian National Institute for Mountains Research (IMONT) ProMONT-BLANC Unione Nazionale Comuni Comunità Enti Montani (UNCEM) agreements. This experience is helping countries of the Caucasus, Balkans, Central Asia and elsewhere to determine which type of arrangement is most suitable to their interests and needs. The Mountain Partnership also offers the possibility of more effective advocacy for mountain issues, given its global stature and close institutional ties to the UN Commission on Sustainable Development. As an alliance of many different mountain stakeholders, the Mountain Partnership can also serve to facilitate contacts, outreach and the sharing of information among its members and between members and other institutions outside the Partnership. The following examples demonstrate how the Mountain Partnership and the Alpine Convention are collaborating on mountain issues: Argentina The Mountain Partnership offers a new forum to enhance both intra-regional and inter-regional cooperation on mountains. The long experience in the context of the Alpine Convention is serving as an important model for other mountainous regions of the world which are seeking closer collaboration through new legal the Mountain Partnership has provided support and linkages between the Alpine Convention and the implementation of the Carpathian Convention support and facilitation was provided to the conference in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan in November 2005 on "the role of local governance in sustainable mountain development" a meeting was held in Rome of representatives of the Alpine Convention Secretariat, Germany, Liechtenstein and the Mountain Partnership Secretariat to explore cooperation between the Alpine Convention and the Mountain Partnership The Alliance of Central Asian Mountain Communities (AGOCA) has recently joined the Mountain Partnership 18 Special Event in Bolzano

19 Cooperation between Europe and Asia mountain regions is being facilitated through the Mountain Partnership and member countries of the Alpine Convention At present, efforts are underway to build on this cooperation by developing capacity building opportunities through training and exchange programmes that take advantage of experience in the Alps and by linking members of the Alpine Convention and the Mountain Partnership in new activities involving the development of mountain quality products, microfinance mechanisms, broadband communications for mountain areas and other joint activities. Decentralized cooperation (or cooperation between decentralized authorities from different countries) is another area which is becoming an increasingly important element of mountain development around the world. Through the Nepal Mountain Partnership, this form of cooperation is expected to be further developed as a complementary tool to cooperation at the national level which will enhance the exchange of practical experience and expertise. Douglas McGuire, Coordinator of the Mountain Partnership, Rome, Italy Special Event in Bolzano 19

20 The Carpathians Together with the Alps, the Carpathians are the main mountain system in Europe. They form a natural bridge between Western and Eastern Europe and span an arch more than 1,300 km long and up to 350 km wide, open towards the West, which begins near Breslau and Vienna as a continuation of the Alps and finishes at the Porta Orientalis in Rumania or the Iron Gate. The Carpathians are present in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Poland, Ukraine, Rumania, Serbia and Austria (with a share of less than 0.5 per cent). The Gerlachovsky štit (Gerlachovka) in the High Tatra (Slovakia), at 2,665 m above sea level is the highest mountain in the Carpathians. Around half of the Carpathians is covered with wood, the Rumanian Carpathians are covered by the greatest still existing self-contained woodland in Europe. The wood line dwindles between 1,150 m and 1,900 m. Fauna and Flora of the Carpathians is partly similar to that of the Alps. One third of all European vascular plant species (more than 4000 species, 481 of which endemic plant species) are present in the Carpathians. More than one third of all large predators (bear, lynx, wolf) and the worldwide endangered imperial eagle live here. (Source: Wikipedia) 20 Special Event in Bolzano

21 Legal and institutional framework for the cooperation of mountain regions The Mountain Partnership promotes international cooperation and exchange in best practices between mountain regions in the world. Launched at the World Summit for Sustainable Development in 2002, the Mountain Partnership taps the wealth and diversity of resources, information, knowledge, and expertise of its growing membership to support positive change in mountain areas. The Mountain Partnership is rooted in the Agenda 21 adopted at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, which makes reference to regional and sub-regional cooperation, Chapter 13 of the Agenda 21 recommending the protection of fragile mountain ecosystem through the consideration of appropriate mechanisms including regional legal and other instruments. At the Second Global Meeting of the Mountain Partnership, Cusco, Peru, October 2004, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) together with its partners organized a side-event on "Regional Cooperation Between Mountain Ranges for Sustainable Development - the Example of the Alpine-Carpathian Partnership", analyzing the experiences made in sub-regional cooperation in major mountain regions of Europe, using legal frameworks of cooperation (Alpine and Carpathian Conventions), the possible application of lessons learned in other mountain regions, as well as the potential for cooperation between mountain regions ("networking between the networks"). The side-event raised considerable interest of other mountain regions, such as the Andes, the Balkans and the Hindu Kush-Himalayan region, and resulted in formal or informal requests to UNEP to support the process of mutual exchange of experiences between mountain regions. Furthermore, a Cusco breakout session for Europe noted that whereas regional frameworks and networks have been established in several mountain regions, others would be missing such networks, which could be established in the future (South-East Europe, Caucasus). The Alpine Convention was the first sub-regional legally binding instrument for mountain protection existing at the international level, and is often being quoted as a possible model for other mountain regions of the world. This treaty was a significant and concrete contribution of the Alpine States to the Rio Conference on Sustainable Development (1992). The significance of the Alpine Convention was further highlighted by the "Berchtesgaden Declaration" of the international conference "The Alpine experience - an approach for other mountain regions?" in the year The recent workprogramme on mountain biodiversity of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) - a so-called "Rio Convention" provides a renewed international recommendation for action at the (sub-) regional scale, by aiming to establish "regional and transboundary collaboration and the establishment of cooperative agreements", and, amongst other important points, calling CBD Parties to promo- Special Event in Bolzano 21

22 te integrated transboundary cooperation and strategies for sustainable activities on mountain ranges through mutually agreed-upon arrangements by countries concerned. Such cooperative arrangements should cover specific thematic issues such as landscape, soil, wetland, watershed, rangeland, mining, protected areas and wildlife management, agriculture, pastoralism, forestry, transportation, energy and tourism. Furthermore, the collaboration with the International Partnership for Sustainable Development in Mountain Regions (the "Mountain Partnership") and regional conventions on mountains should be strengthened. In 2001, the United Nation Environment Programme - Regional Office for Europe (UNEP/ROE) was requested by Ukraine to service and facilitate the intergovernmental consultation process for the Carpathian Convention between the seven Carpathian countries (Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Serbia and Montenegro, Slovakia and Ukraine). UNEP/ROE promoted an Alpine-Carpathian Partnership, which was supported by the Presidency of the Alpine Convention and started to service the negotiating process between the Carpathian countries. The negotiation process was accompanied by the scientific support of the European Academy (EURAC) in Bolzano. In partnership with the Alpine Convention, a series of intergovernmental meetings was organized (1st meeting "Sharing the Experience" in Bolzano, Italy; 2nd meeting in Vaduz, Liechtenstein; 3rd meeting in Geneva, Switzerland; 4th meeting in Vienna, Austria). The concluding 5th meeting in Bolzano, Italy, resulted Throughout Europe, there are still approx. 6 to 10 thousand brown bears, most of them in the Rumanian Carpathians. in a final draft text of the Framework Convention on the Protection and Sustainable Development of the Carpathians, which was adopted and signed during the 5th Ministerial Conference "Environment for Europe" in Kyiv (May 2003). On 1 May 2004, the Office of UNEP Vienna - Interim Secretariat of the Carpathian Convention was opened, hosted by Austria in the Vienna International Centre. The Carpathian Convention entered into force after four ratifications on 4 January Consequently, the Carpathian Convention has entered into the phase of implementation. Enjoying the support of the European Union through the Interreg IIIb CADSES programme, the "Carpathian Project" - lead by UNEP Vienna ISCC - aims to demonstrate that mountains can offer considerable potentials for development respecting the value of rich natural and cultural heritage and its preservation for the future, taking into account the experience of the Alpine Space. The fact of the EU supporting such mountain range cooperation should be an encouragement for other mountain regions, such as in South Eastern Europe, to 22 Special Event in Bolzano

23 deeply consider an application of the Alpine- Carpathian experience. Currently, the cooperation between the Alpine and Carpathian Conventions - being so far the only mountain Conventions in force globally - as equal partners is growing steadily, a Memorandum of Cooperation between the two Conventions is under preparation. The Alpine Convention continues to offer its long-years experience, and on the other hand, the interest in the Alps in learning has increased. This fact is, for example, demonstrated by the Alpine-Carpathian cooperation programme currently being successfully conducted by the Alpine Network of Protected Areas in cooperation with UNEP and the support of the Alpine and Carpathian Conventions. Working together, the Alpine and Carpathian Conventions will further profile the significance of mountain regions in the European political landscape. The Mountain Partnership will continue to be the suitable framework for further sharing of experience with other mountain regions of the world. The partner organization Mountain Forum (MF) helps to provide the required communication infrastructure for such exchange. UNEP - in both its roles as the Carpathian Convention Interim Secretariat and as the environmental Focal Point within the Mountain Partnership Secretariat - supports mountain cooperation within and between mountain regions through various activities. Protected areas and key areas for biodiversity in the Carpathians Special Event in Bolzano 23

24 In this context, the experience of the Alpine- Carpathian partnership will yield further results. For example, the multi-partner side event on "Mountain biodiversity - partnership for implementing the CBD - From Paradise to the Roof of the World" initiated a partnership between the Gran Paradiso National Park in Italy, and the Sagarmatha National Park in Nepal. Similarly, the experience of the Alpine Network of Protected Areas could be used in supporting the networking of mountain protected areas in South Eastern Europe. On the broader scale, in the Balkans and in the Caucasus, active cooperation processes are ongoing, and recently the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) requested the Mountain Partnership's facilitation for supporting the sub-regional cooperation for mountain sustainable development in the Himalaya- Karakoram-Hindukush region. The cooperation of the Alpine Convention with other mountain regions of the world will be crucial for fostering mountain protection and sustainable development worldwide. The message is clear: mountain regions can benefit of an integrated and tailor-made approach, balancing and addressing key sectors such as agriculture and rural development, forest management, biodiversity, tourism, energy, transport or climate change in mountains. The signs are promising, and it is hoped that the "Informal Encounter of Mountain Regions of the World", which will be organized by Presidency of the Alpine Convention back-to-back with the upcoming 9th Alpine Conference (Austria, November 2006), will be a further landmark on this way of mountain cooperation and partnership. Harald Egerer, UNEP/Interim secretary of the Carpathians Convention, Vienna, Austria Activities between the Alps and the Carpathians A, I, FL, UNEP, Eurac: Definition of the treaty body of the Carpathian Convention Setting up of institutions Support of the Interim Secretariat through funds and allowances in kind Objective: collaboration of the mountain communities CH: Implementation of the stability pact, humanitarian projects A, D, F, MC, Network of the Alpine protected areas: Collaboration of the protected areas Objective: network of protected areas 24 Special Event in Bolzano

25 Central Asia The activities of the Alpine Convention are momentarily limited to the mountains in south east Central Asia, Tian Shan and Pamir. Tian Shan is around 2500 km long, around 400 km wide and covers an area of approximately 1,036,000 km 2, 6% of which affected by permafrost and 1% covered by glaciers. It spans over the countries of China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. The Silk Route runs on the south side of the Mountains. The Pamir is also called the roof of the world. It covers an area of approx. 120,000 km 2, 1% of which covered by glaciers. It includes almost all east Tajikistan and continues towards Afghanistan, Pakistan and East China. The Pamir connects some of the great mountain chains in Asia: Tien Shan to the North, Karakorum to the South, Kunlun Shan in the south east and Hindukush to the south west. To the east, the Tibet plateau is adjacent, which is also often called the roof of the world. With mountains some 7000m tall, Tian Shan and Pamir have the highest peaks of the EECCA-countries (Eastern Europe, Caucasus, Central Asia). The mountain ranges of Central Asia in general are characterised by intense Highland/Lowland relationships. The main economic significance lies in the narrow strips of land between the high mountains and their abundant water and the arid and semi-arid deserts and steppes. The sparsely inhabited mountain area plays a central role as a supplier of natural resources. It provides water for irrigation and, in summer, there are summer pastures for sheep and herds of horse and yak. In addition to this, the mountains contain many rare minerals and raw materials and a breathtakingly beautiful landscape offering great potential for tourism development. (Source: Wikipedia, Sonderteil BMU Umwelt, Nr. 3/2004) Special Event in Bolzano 25

26 Villages' Network Building Experience on the example of the Alliance of Central Asian Mountain Communities 1st stage: Preparatory ( ) Involved organizations: CAMP Main activities: The Central Asian Mountain Partnership (CAMP) work starts in Central Asia in 4 main directions: Resource Use; Product Development and marketing; Village development; Policy dialogue. Development of the AGOCA idea within the "Village development" framework Outcomes: Preparation of the first conference, selection of participants out of the representatives of the mountain villages of Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Tajikistan 2nd stage: Establishment of the AGOCA ( ) Involved organizations: CAMP, Central Asian Regional Ecological Centre (CAREC), International Commission for the Protection of the Alps (CIPRA), Community network "Alpine Alliance" Main activities: The 1st conference of Central Asian Mountain villages was organized in Kyrgyzstan in view of the International year of mountains (2002) where: 1. Problems and obstacles of the mountain villages of the three countries were defined: Unemployment; Ecological problems: not all inhabitants of mountain villages had equal access to natural resources; Energy supply and energy saving; Provision of the villages with information; Passivity of local population in the decision making process; Outworn infrastructure; Legal and organizational conditions were insufficiently developed and adapted to modern situation. 2. Capacities and opportunities of the mountain villages' development were analyzed; 3. The following conclusion was made: for fully utilization of the available capacities to resolve the problems identified it was easier by joining the Alliance of Central Asian Mountain Communities (AGOCA). As an example experience of the Alpine Alliance 26 Special Event in Bolzano

27 and the International Commission for the Protection of the Alps (CIPRA) were taken. 4. The main Alliance goal was determined - to assist the sustainable development of Central Asian mountain regions and thereby contribute to improve the living standards of their inhabitants. Association of legal entities. The Charter was approved, constituent instruments were signed, and the first Board was elected. Secretarial functions were fulfilled by the CAMP employees. 5. The main types of activities were determined: The exchange visit program Annual conference Informational work (issue of the magazine and booklets) 6. The organization committee from representatives of mountain villages, CAMP, REC CA 7. The organizational committee selected 10 villagers-founders of the Alliance; the set-up was jointly determined (the villagers are joined into the Territorial Public Self Governance bodies (TPS 18 ) and the TPS were joined into the Alliance). 8. Establishment of the first 10 TPS (experience of Kyrgyzstan was taken as a basis where there exists an appropriate legislation and in Tajikistan and Kazakhstan public unions were formed) Mountain villages take over their own development (Yeniyol in Azerbaijan). 3d stage: Informing about the TPS and AGOCA activities ( ) Involved organizations: CAMP, German Federal Ministry of the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, International Commission for the Protection of the Alps (CIPRA), Alpine Alliance, Self-Governance Bodies, German Technical Assistance Project UN Convention to Combat Desertification (GTZ CCD). Outcomes: The 2nd conference: 10 TPS from the three countries formed the Alliance of Central Asian mountain communities (AGOCA) which was registered in Kyrgyzstan as the Main activities: Publication of the "AGOCA" magazine, issue of the booklets about AGOCA and "White Book"; 18 TPS (Territorial Public Self Governance bodies) - public associations, AGOCA members. Special Event in Bolzano 27

28 Assistance to conduct the ALS 19 workshops and participation (on decision making processes; sustainable use of natural resources; energy saving and thermal insulation of houses; strategy of the house holding; decentralization; village development planning). Establishment of the AGOCA office, formation of the TPS offices in the villages; Elaboration of the village development plans; Elaboration of the 1st program of the AGOCA activities (based on the TPS plans); Procedures elaboration for new villages to join the AGOCA; The first meetings of the AGOCA Board on the current activities planning; Holding the conference on social mobilization of local communities and experience exchange visits; Implementation of the pilot projects in TPS on the programs of small grants of CAMP and GTZ CCD. Outcomes: Activation of the local population through TPSs: Increase number of the TPS members (involvement of different formal and informal village organizations in the TPS activities); Increase number of the AGOCA members. 4th stage: first steps towards independence from CAMP and cooperation with other mountain regions and state structures ( ) Involved organizations: CAMP, CAMP Ala- Too, German Federal Ministry of the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Local Self-Governance Bodies, Rural NGOs, International Commission for the Protection of the Alps (CIPRA), The Alpine Alliance, Alpine Convention, Mountain Partnership, GTZ CCD, Mountain Villages Partnership and Development Foundation. Steps towards the Alliance independence (including financial): Independent book keeping; The first meeting of the Revision Commission prior to the Annual Conference; Fundraising; Establishment of the own Secretariat of the AGOCA; Formation of the correspondents' group of the "AGOCA" magazine out of the TPS representatives with the purpose of attracting inhabitants of the mountain villages to the magazine issuing; Carrying out the workshop on the Alliance activities' planning in the three countries. Steps on cooperation with the state structures: Participation in the series of the "Round table discussions", organized by the Secretariat of the Comprehensive Development Framework (CDF) of the President Administration of the Kyrgyz Republic, UNDP pro- 19 ALS (Autodidactic learning for sustainability) - modular workshops, developed by the Centre for Development and Environment (CDE), Bern, Switzerland. 28 Special Event in Bolzano

29 ject "Institutional strengthening and capacity building for sustainable development" and Central Asian Mountain Partnership (CAMP) where issues related to the sustainable use of natural resources and energy saving were considered. The President of the Alliance was involved in the report writing on discussion which would be used in formation of the National Strategy for Sustainable Development (NSSD). Steps on collaboration with other mountain regions: Collaboration with the Alpine Alliance on the village level; International conference with participation of representatives of the mountain regions of the Alps, Caucasus, Carpathian, Altai and Mongolia; AGOCA became a member of the Mountain Partnership. Long-term results of AGOCA activity: AGOCA provides sustainable development assistance to Central Asian mountain regions and, in that way, makes a definite contribution to enhance the living standards of its residents through its activities. AGOCA strengthens its cooperation with governmental structures and international organizations by means of specific practical activities. AGOCA members are able to better manage their financial resources and they have knowledge of village planning, the decisionmaking processes and in the practical implementation of projects at village level. AGOCA takes an active part in public In a Tadzhik workroom, young women decorate pillowcases they have woven from locally produced flax (a project by the Swiss Development and Co-Operation Directorate). discussions and supports partner connections with interested persons and organizations. AGOCA increases public awareness about the problems, capacities and needs existing in mountain regions. International Cooperation Advantages of cooperation with the Alpine Alliance: 1. Successful example of the mountain villages' network activity, on the basis of which the AGOCA was formed. 2. Experience exchange: On annual conferences of AGOCA; Via "AGOCA" magazine (articles about Alps); The exchange visits of 6 villages of both Alliances. 3. Assistance to the AGOCA cooperation with other regions - the Carpathians, the Caucasus, Altai, Mongolia. Special Event in Bolzano 29

30 4. Formation of the Mountain Villages Partnership and Development Foundation (both Alliances are founders). Goal of the Foundation is financial, advisory, organizational and other support of activities and initiatives of inhabitants of the mountain rayons, including representatives of the AGOCA. The Alpine Alliance expressed its aim to assist implementation of the energy saving projects in the AGOCA villages through the Foundation. Development of the initiatives within the framework of the Mountain Partnership on the following directions: Exchange of information through the new version of the AGOCA publication; Promotion of mountain products; Micro financing (through the Mountain Villages Partnership and Development Foundation); Design of the law project on local self governance (the AGOCA initiative as member of the Mountain Partnership in Central Asia); Training for the AGOCA members. Ishenbek Musahodjaev, President of AGOCA, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan Activities between the Alps and Central Asia: CH, FL, D, CIPRA International, communities network "Alliance in the Alps": Development of the AGOCA communities network CH: Programme Central Asian Mountain Partnership (CAMP) Project for governance, conflict prevention etc. FL: Project Energy saving, preservation natural resources, improvement of the quality of life 30 Special Event in Bolzano

31 Caucasus The Caucasus is a mountain chain around 1100 km long and 160 km wide, which runs from west-northwest to east-southeast in Eurasia between the Black and Caspian Seas. Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan and parts of Russia, Turkey and Iran own parts of the Caucasus. It is divided between the northern Greater Caucasus and the 100 km south located Lesser Caucasus. Three different chains covered by woods, build stepwise the northern part. South of these chains, the mountains are divided between the western Black Sea Caucasus, the glacier covered High Mountain Caucasus, the Suram mountains and the Caspian Caucasus to the East. To the west, the mountain is extensively covered by woods; to the east, it is without woods. Elbrus, located in Russia, at 5642 m above sea level, is the highest peak and at the same time the border between Europe and Asia. Around 50 different populations live in the Caucasus, who are defined as Caucasians (for example Mountain People, Circassian, Cecenian, Russian). The area has always been the stage of ethnic fights and a battlefield for the great powers. With over 100 different landscape types and more than 7000 species, the Caucasus is a unique natural and cultural heritage. Lynx, brown bear and wolf, Caucasian ibex, western and eastern Caucasian Tur, Bezoar goat, bison and goitered gazelle still live there. Some are strongly at risk of extinction, like the Caucasian leopard. Even the diversity of plants is enormous, more than 6000 flower plants are at home here, of them around 1600 are endemic. (Source: Wikipedia) Special Event in Bolzano 31

32 Sustainable Village Development - Caucasus experience The Project Sustainable Development of Mountain Regions of the Caucasus - Local Agenda 21 The project "Sustainable Development in Mountain Regions - Local Agenda 21" is implemented by Regional Environmental Centre for the Caucasus (REC Caucasus) and Russian Regional Environmental Centre (Russian REC). Activities are financed by the Federal German Ministry of Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety and by the Ministry of Environment, Agriculture and Forestry of the Principality of Liechtenstein. REC Caucasus and RECs Network The project is one of the first successful initiatives implemented by RECs. Six Regional Environmental Centres's operate in the EECCA Region: REC Central Asia, REC Moldova, Russian REC, REC Caucasus and REC for Central and Eastern Europe creating common cooperation Network. The Regional Environmental Centre for the Caucasus - REC Caucasus is an independent, not-for-profit, non-advocacy foundation registered in spring of 2000, following the decision made at the Sofia Ministerial Conference in 1995, to work for environment and sustainable development in the Caucasus region. The mission of the REC Caucasus remains "to assist in solving of environmental problems in the Caucasus region through the promotion of cooperation at national and regional level among NGOs, governments, business, local communities, and all other environmental stakeholders, in order to develop a free exchange of information, in line with the principles of the Aarhus Convention; offer assistance to all environmental NGOs and other stakeholders; and increase public participation in the decision-making process, thereby assisting the states of the Caucasus in the further development of a democratic civil society". The founding document of REC Caucasus - its Charter - was signed in September, 1999 by the governments of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia and the European Union. Work of the organisation has been supported by the core funding provided by the EU. Following an agreement signed between REC Caucasus and the USA, the US became a key supporter and donor of REC Caucasus. Other financial and technical assistance has been provided by US EPA, Denmark, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, the Principality of Liechtenstein and the Government of Netherlands. REC Caucasus supports intersectoral cooperation and serves a number of stakeholders: National and local Governments NGOs Media Business Science and others 32 Special Event in Bolzano

33 organised for the Caucasus Journalists. The Conference was supported by the Federal German Ministry of Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, the Ministry of Environment, Agriculture and Forestry of the Principality of Liechtenstein, EU TACIS and US EPA. Chart of RECs Stakeholders Third Annual International Conference of REC Caucasus The Third Annual International Conference 2003 of REC Caucasus was dedicated to "Sustainable Development of Mountain Regions". The main aims of the Conference were definition of the ways of problem solution, collection of information on the basic issues concerning sustainable development of the mountain regions of the Caucasus. About 170 participants from ten countries took part in the Conference: the representatives of the executive and legislative authority, public organisations, scientific circles, experts from Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Russia and Turkey, and also donors and international organisations, Regional Environmental Centres (REC) and students from the Caucasus countries. Parallel to the Conference the Youth Meeting of Students - "Students for Sustainable Development of Mountain Regions of the Caucasus" was held. Before the Conference a Media Tour The partner of the Conference was the Russian Regional Environmental Centre. The key outcome of the Conference was the project: "Sustainable Development of Caucasus Mountain Regions - Local Agenda 21" supported again by ministries of environment of Germany and Liechtenstein. The Project "Sustainable development of Mountain Regions of the Caucasus - Local Agenda 21" The project is to be implemented in eight districts of four countries of the Caucasus: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia and the Russian Federation. Main Project objectives are: Development of Local Agenda 21 Practical assistance to mountain villages The Project aims to support Sustainable Development in the Caucasus are in line with the Rio process and are based on the Agenda 21. The Project is a part of the global process of Sustainable Development of Mountain Regions umbrella for which is the Mountain Partnership established in Johannesburg in REC Caucasus aims to join the Global Mountain Partnership. Special Event in Bolzano 33

34 Villages of the Project on the Caucasus map To begin the process and generate positive experience for replication to other villages' first eight villages of the four Caucasus countries were selected by the National Working Groups according to the national priorities. During the implementation of the Project RECs the following peculiarities of the Caucasus region on the way to Sustainable Development were considered: The Caucasus Mountains - a mountain range between the Black Sea and Caspian Sea in the Caucasus region Southeastern boarder of Europe with Asia Formed million years ago Mountain Elbrus - the highest peak in Europe (5 642 m) In Greek mythology the Caucasus was one of the pillars supporting the world. Noah's Ark has landed in Caucasus on Mount Ararat. The oldest Hominid site (Bolnisi, Georgia) was found in Eurasia. The Caucasus is a veritable Babel Tower of languages (40 languages), ethnic groups, territorial claims and conflicts cultural and architectural monuments and sites The Caucasus is one of the 12 spots of Biodiversity of the World. Biodiversity of the Caucasus is relatively well known. There are about 6500 plant species in 34 Special Event in Bolzano

35 Biodiversity in the Caucasus the South Caucasus region and it is the richest floristic region in its climatic zone. Besides the above mentioned we considered the current political and social development of the region for supporting and interfering the Sustainable Development of the region and decided to invest more attention and efforts on the local level: Weaknesses Frozen conflicts: Abkhazia, Chechnya, Karabakh, South Ossetia Unwillingness of governments to overcome the tensions The Project is under implementation since 2004 and during this period the following activities were done: Information gathering and preliminary analysis of the situation, First drafts of development plans developed (LA 21), Trainings for local communities and local authorities conducted, Some small project in the villages implemented, Authorities on all levels informed and involved in the planning process, Community meetings were held to show up needs and priorities of local population, Database of Caucasus Mountain Regions is being developed. The main directions of the current work in the framework of the Project are: Strengthening the results at the level of pilot villages and dissemination of experience and Expanding the geographical area of the project operation by transferring the experience generated in pilot villages to other settlements of the Caucasus Strengths Historically formed inter-cultural relations Besides peculiarities and diversity of the Caucasus, the level of development of its regions (villages) is still quite similar Mountain villages are the guardians of cultural diversity and traditions Local level is not so much involved in the political tensions between the countries and continues its way of life and communication in line with traditional inter-cultural relations Further we want to present more information on these two development trends. Objectives of Strengthening the Results at the Level of Pilot Villages and Dissemination of Experience are 1. Replicating pilot villages' experience in planning processes in other villages of pilot districts by the local authorities and 2. Implementing short-term objectives (priorities) of the Local Agendas 21 developed for Special Event in Bolzano 35

36 pilot villages, which will provide basis for follow-up activities as planned in these documents. Expanding the Geographical Area of the Project Operation aims at 1. Involvement of local authorities from other villages in the sustainable development process and 2. Encourage local authorities from other villages to apply RECs in support to development of LA 21 and to create mechanisms of Sustainable Development on the local level. Objectives of this direction will be: awareness rising on a need for development of long term village development plans (LA 21s) by the local authorities (their responsibilities and obligations. Development of a first draft of Local Agenda 21 for additional villages; Initiation of community development process; Motivation of local authorities from the neighbouring villages to adopt good practices generated in pilot villages; Adopting of Local Agenda 21s; Replication of pilot villages' experience in other villages of pilot districts; Implementation of short-term priorities of the Local Agendas 21, which will provide a basis for follow -up activities as planned in these documents. Children being taught how to use a computer. Why REC does see an Alliance of the Caucasus Villages as an appropriate mechanism of Sustainable Development? Below you can find some reasons for establishing an Alliance: Strengths Historical memory (intercultural relations) Will and wish to cooperate on the local level To strengthen and hasten the process of replication the villages should contribute more for its Sustainable Development. As one of the most appropriate option for such contribution an Alliance of the Caucasus villages is seen. Alliance will be a sustainable structure on the local level for continuation of the process of Sustainable Development. All these activities will support the process of Weakness There is no clear operating concept of sustainable village development in the Caucasus Most of the communities are forced to survive by their own There is no feedback form the community to government no effective mechanism for cooperation 36 Special Event in Bolzano

37 Opportunities Alliance can serve as one of such mechanisms for cooperation Threats Political tensions between the countries Frozen conflicts Approaches for the Alliance establishment should be: Alliance will be a voluntarily union of mountain communities with common aim Alliance should be integral part of the mountain communities way of life Role of RECs is to initiate the process and support/lobby local interests Alliance will absorb traditions of cooperation and ways of intercultural relations thus strengthen cooperation between the countries of the Caucasus. As main aims of the Caucasus Villages Alliance we can name: Joint development of effective methods of self-government Development of mechanisms of influence decision-makers for - living standards growth - protection of bio- and cultural diversity - development of inter-cultural relations - support to development of the Caucasus mountain regions Support to horizontal cooperation and exchange of experience between membervillages And finally we should say that experience has shown that sustainable village development can be possible by activating the local communities, can become realistic if integrated in the national, regional and sub-regional processes and policies and can only be successful if the global experience is taken in. That is why REC Caucasus sees the project with all its components as a successful partnership between the Caucasus and different Mountain regions. Nato Kirvalidse, Manageress of REC Caucasus, Tiflis, Georgia Special Event in Bolzano 37

38 Activities between the Alps and the Caucasus D, FL: Support to the 2003 Annual conference of the regional Environmental Centre REC Caucasus Project for sustainable village development Objective: establishment of a communities network, contribution to the process of development of a Caucasian convention I, UNEP, Eurac: Event "Definition of legal instruments for across the border collaboration for the protection and for sustainable development" CH: Project for governance and sustainable use of natural resources, humanitarian projects 38 Special Event in Bolzano

39 Sustainable development of the mountains, a process of sharing experiences First of all, on behalf of Massimo Cozzone, I would like to offer his excuses for not being able to take part in this event due to an unexpected commitment. You will therefore understand that this contribution will not be able to offer the same degree of depth that Massimo, with his experience, would have been able to provide. The title of the speech that we have been given is an ambitious one and far from easy to tackle. First of all, allow me to make an introductory comment on the fact that it is not possible simply to "export or transfer" experiences. This is because each area has a social, economic and cultural background which is totally different and it is therefore necessary for there to be a process of adapting the instruments of cooperation. What can be done, and what in our experience determines the success of a cooperation, is making available the experiences acquired to provide representatives from other mountain areas with all the information, so that they can choose the best form of cooperation for their area. 1. Mountains in the international context The importance of the mountains as sources of water, energy and biodiversity was recognised at an international level for the first time by Agenda 21, the programme approved by 178 governments throughout the world in the 1992 United Nations Summit on the Environment and Development in Rio De Janeiro. Agenda 21 is a document of principles, objectives and actions that must guide policies at global, national and local level in order to encourage a more balanced development. It describes the fundamental objectives that it aims to achieve, it identifies the programme areas, the activities to be carried out and the instruments to be used and invites local authorities throughout the world to adopt an Agenda of their own. Chapter 13 of Agenda 21 is dedicated to the mountains. It emphasises the richness and, at the same time, the fragility of the mountain eco-systems, which are seen as essential for the survival of the world ecosystem as a whole. Above all it urges governments throughout the world to set up and coordinate international and regional cooperation actions between countries sharing the same mountain ranges, for an exchange of information and experiences in order to manage the biological, cultural and economic heritage of the mountain areas. International awareness with regard to the problems connected with the mountain areas has also been confirmed recently by the latest Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biodiversity, held in February 2004, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It adopted the Working Plan on mountain biodiversity, whose aim is a significant reduction of the loss of mountain biodiversity by 2010 by means of the adoption by member States of national programmes with concrete objectives and measures. 1.1 The International Year of Mountains The international community has developed awareness with regard to social, environmental Special Event in Bolzano 39

40 and economic problems connected with the mountains to such an extent as to move the General Assembly of the United Nations in 1998 to adopt resolution 53/24 20, by which it dedicated the year 2002 to the mountains. Indeed that year saw a wide series of events, conferences and projects throughout the world dealing with mountain themes. The culminating moment in the International Year of Mountains was the Global Mountain Summit held at Bishkek in November 2002, A river in the Carpathians where the States confirmed their commitment to sustain and promote the Mountain Partnership and adopted the Platform, a document outlining all of the initiatives at international level for the promotion and sustainable development of the mountain, proposing a framework of concrete actions aimed at achieving this sustainable development. From 2002 the mountains are celebrated annually at international level on the 11th December, International Mountain Day. 2. The Carpathian Convention The cross-border experience developed between the countries in the Alpine Area created interest in other countries, including the Ukraine. In 2001 it asked the European Regional Office (ROE) of the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) for the necessary support to assist consultations between the countries of the Carpathian Mountain area (Poland, the Czech Republic, Romania, Serbia and Montenegro, Slovakia, Ukraine and Hungary). In this way, the Alpine-Carpathian Partnership was launched as a concrete initiative for the International Year of Mountains, promoted by UNEP/ROE with the support of Italy, which presided over the Alpine Convention that year. The Partnership was developed by way of a sequence of meetings 21 during which representatives from the Carpathian countries discussed with experts the process of alpine cooperation and were assisted in the negotiation process. On the 6 May 2003 at Kiev, as part of the Fifth European Conference on the Environment, the Convention for the Protection and Sustainable Development of the Carpathians was signed and the interim secretariat was set up by the UNEP at their Vienna office. The rapidity of the negotiation process and the quality of the contents of this Convention are in part thanks to the experience and support of the Countries in the Alpine Area and in particular to Italy. Proof of this comes from the fact that the Convention achieved the number of ratifications necessary 22 in less than two years 20 For a full version of the resolution see the web site: 21 In particular: "Sharing the Experience" at Bolzano, June 2002; the second at Vaduz, Liechtenstein, October 2002; the third at Geneva, December 2002; the fourth at Vienna, February 2003; and the last at Bolzano, March According to Article 21 of the Carpathian Convention (for the full text see the web site: ), the same comes into force on the ninetieth day from the deposit of the fourth instrument of ratification. Up to now the Convention has been ratified by Ukraine, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovakia 40 Special Event in Bolzano

41 from being signed and came into force on 4 January The importance of this, together with the Alpine Convention, as an instrument for sustainable development, was recognised by the General Assembly of the United Nations in a resolution 23 of 9 December The Carpathian Convention, in a similar way to the Alpine Convention, is a framework convention which establishes the general principles for the common policies to be carried out more specifically with additional protocols 24. One of the principal developments in this Convention is the fact that it requires an "integrated approach" by the parties to the various sectors of protection and promotion of sustainable development. Therefore, for example, the Convention requires the Parties to apply an "integrated approach" in the management of the resources of the soil 25, of river basins 26 and in territorial planning 27 formulating effective answers which also take account of the interconnections between the various environmental sectors. The experience that Italy was able to offer has been on two levels: an intergovernmental level with the funding of the UNEP for a project to provide the contracting parties with skills relating to the institutional aspects of the functioning of a convention and a project relating to the definition of the area of application of the Convention. So far as these two aspects are concerned, the experience made it possible to provide the Carpathian States with all of the background and experience necessary, above all, to define the financial regulations and to set up a Permanent Secretariat. At the same time, however, a local level has to be considered - a so-called bottom-up approach - and support was given in that respect to the idea of producing an explanatory guide on the Convention aimed at the local authorities. This document, which will be ready in a few months, will be an extremely important means of implementation at regional and local level. An experience as successful as this had to be spread as widely as possible and one of the key moments was the presentation by UNEP, Italy and EURAC at the side event during the Second World Meeting of the Mountain Partnership at Cusco in October The event, which saw a large participation from throughout the world, created particular interest among representatives from the Himalayan Hindu Kush and from South Eastern Europe, so much so that a few months later the Macedonian Minister for the Environment asked the UNEP and Italy to support a consultation process to foster cross-frontier cooperation for the sustainable development of the South Eastern European mountains. 3. Sharing the experiences process In response to this request, UNEP and the Italian Ministry for the Environment and Territorial Protection organised the meeting entitled "Sharing the Experience - Capacity Building on the Legal Instruments for the Protection and Sustainable Development of Mountain Regions in South Eastern Europe" held in Bolzano at the Accademia Europea 23 In this respect see Resolution 60/L63 on web site: 24 Article 2.3 of the Carpathian Convention, in fact, requires the Parties to adopt implementation protocols. 25 Article 3 of the Carpathian Convention. 26 Article 6 of the Carpathian Convention. 27 Article 5 of the Carpathian Convention. Special Event in Bolzano 41

42 The Himalayas on December 2005, which saw participation by representatives from Albania, Bulgaria, UNMIK (Kosovo), the Republic of Macedonia, Romania and Serbia and Montenegro. The Balkan representatives were able to study the experience of the Alps and of the Carpathian Convention presented to them by experts from the various countries involved. The event also saw the participation of other important intergovernmental institutions such as UNDP, UNESCO, REC and two representatives from the Himalayan Hindu Kush, in particularly IUCN and ICIMOD. It gives us great satisfaction to emphasise here that less than three years after the signing of the Carpathian Convention, its representatives are already able to carry their experience abroad, which is already universally recognised as a successful experience. At the same time as this process in South Eastern Europe, another mountain area has seen the creation of cross-border cooperation in sustainable mountain development. An initial meeting of representatives from Caucasus Countries took place in June 2001, where representatives of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Russia recognised the importance of a legal instrument for the sustainable development of the Caucasus mountain region, and requesting the assistance of the UNEP for this purpose. In 2002, to meet this request the UNEP supervised the drafting of a report (Caucasus Environmental Outlook - CEO) which emphasised the need for a legal basis for cross-border environmental cooperation. At the same time, the REC Caucasus organised a second meeting at Tbilisi, in Georgia, in June 2003 between representatives of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Russia and Turkey who sought the adoption of concrete measures for the protection of the cultural and biological wealth of the Caucasus, seeking therefore to establish a much closer cooperation through the adoption of a framework convention. In a similar way to what had happened for the South Eastern European area, UNEP therefore organised a meeting in Bolzano at the Accademia Europea on December, entitled "Sharing the Experience - Capacity Building on the Legal Instruments for the Protection and Sustainable Development of Mountain Regions in the Caucasus". It saw the participation of representatives from Azerbaijan, Georgia, Iran, Russia and Turkey who were shown the Alpine and Carpathian experiences presented by experts from the various States involved and by international organisations such as REC Caucasus. Both meetings ended with a declaration, unanimously adopted by all those present, emphasising the need for a legal instrument for the protection and sustainable development of the mountain region in question and encouraging development in terms of the Mountain Partnership. Both declarations recognise the importance of continual cross-border dialogue and coopera- 42 Special Event in Bolzano