AIMF, Colorado and Aspen Selected to Host the UN Mountain Partnership Global Meeting

ASPEN, Colo., June 24, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Aspen International Mountain Foundation (AIMF) is pleased to announce that it has been selected, along with the State of Colorado and the City of Aspen, to host the Sixth United Nations Mountain Partnership Global Meeting September 25-28, 2022.

"Seventy percent of the world's fresh water comes from mountains," explains AIMF President Karinjo DeVore. "Sustaining mountain environments and the availability of this vital resource is critical to resolving the global climate crisis. This meeting of Mountain Partnership members is an important opportunity to develop and share action plans to protect mountains and the global environment."

The Mountain Partnership is a United Nations voluntary alliance of sixty mountain countries and over 400 intergovernmental organizations and NGO's dedicated to improving the lives of mountain peoples and protecting mountain environments around the world. Founded in 2002, the Mountain Partnership addresses the challenges facing mountain regions by tapping the wealth and diversity of resources from and between its members to stimulate concrete initiatives at all levels that will ensure improved quality of life and environments in the world's mountain regions.

The year-long evaluation period, conducted by the Mountain Partnership Secretariat in Rome, yielded four finalists: AIMF, the Canadian Mountain Network, Eurac Research in Italy and the Romanian National Agency for Mountain Areas. AIMF's proposal was selected after receiving 71 percent of the Mountain Partnership Steering Committee's vote.

The two-and-a-half day global meeting, to be held at the Aspen Institute campus, will establish the Mountain Partnership agenda and high-level advocacy goals for the next four years. In addition to member sessions, the meeting will feature daily side-events on topics related to sustainable mountain development, including climate change, ecotourism and water conservation. US policy makers and outdoor industry executives will be invited to participate and develop action items in concert with key officials from North America and around the world. The gathering will culminate with a public keynote address and panel discussions with representatives from throughout North America and globally. Afterwards, members will travel to Telluride where the Telluride Institute will introduce them to its global sustainability initiatives and Colorado's Ute indigenous culture.

Founded in 2001, AIMF is a nonprofit and is based in Aspen, Colorado. AIMF's mission is to promote sustainable development in mountain environments and communities. The organization's projects, initiatives and fora support sustainable mountain development and promote mountain life and culture in Colorado and around the world. AIMF was instrumental in developing the mountain-related actions within the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals (SDG's) and participated in the Paris Accords. AIMF is co-chair of the Steering Committee of the UN Mountain Partnership and represents North and Central America and the Caribbean region.

For more information about this meeting, visit the AIMF website, aimf.org, or contact Karinjo DeVore at 970-319-9273 or [email protected]

SOURCE Aspen International Mountain Foundation