In what was a competitive process, the Aspen International Mountain Foundation this week announced its selection – alongside the city of Aspen and the state of Colorado – to host the sixth annual global meeting of the United Nations Partnership for the mountain in 2022.

The one-year evaluation period, conducted by the Mountain Partnership Secretariat in Rome, resulted in four finalists: AIMF, the Canadian Mountain Network, Eurac Research in Italy and the Romanian National Agency for mountain areas. The AIMF proposal was accepted after receiving 71% of the votes of the Mountain Partnership steering committee.

“The Mountain Partnership is a voluntary United Nations alliance of 60 mountain countries and more than 400 intergovernmental organizations and NGOs dedicated to improving the lives of mountain peoples and protecting mountain environments around the world”, explains an AIMF press release.

Founded in 2002, the Mountain Partnership addresses the challenges facing mountain regions by “exploiting the richness and diversity of resources of and between its members to stimulate concrete initiatives at all levels that will guarantee a better quality of life. and environments in mountain regions of the world ”.

The two-and-a-half-day global meeting, to be held on the Aspen Institute campus, will set the Mountain Partnership’s 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 policymakers and outdoor industry leaders will be invited to participate and develop actions in collaboration with key officials from North America and around the world.

“Seventy percent of the world’s fresh water comes from mountains,” AIMF President Karinjo DeVore said in a statement. “The preservation of mountain environments and the availability of this vital resource are essential to resolve 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 gathering will conclude with a public address and panel discussions with representatives from across North America and around the world. Next, members will travel to Telluride, where the Telluride Institute will introduce them to its global sustainability initiatives and the Ute indigenous culture of Colorado.