In the scope increasing awareness of the global importance of mountain ecosystems, an event was held on December 11, 2001 at the United Nations…
In the scope increasing awareness of the global importance of mountain ecosystems, an event was held on December 11, 2001 at the United Nations to launch the International Year of Mountains.
The aim of the event which was designed to better inform the public on the vast reserves of valuable mountain resources such as water, energy, biological diversity, while at the same time noting them as the most prized areas of culture and recreation.
According to officials, mass tourism, combined with rapid globalization and urbanization threaten mountain communities and the resources they depend on. On a global scale, claim event organizers, mountain areas face increasing marginalization, economic decline and environmental degradation.
The event, co-sponsored by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the International Year of Mountains Focus Group, in cooperation with the United States Department of Public Information (DPI), was attended by high ranking officials such as Adolf Ogi, Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on Sport for Development and Peace and former President, Swiss Confederation. Acting President, 56th Session of the General Assembly Murari Raj Sharma made opening remarks, while Nitin Desai, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, delivered a message from the Secretary-General. Other officials such as Jacques Diouf, Director-General, FAO, delivered a keynote address, followed by brief statements from Kurmanbek Bakiev, Prime Minister, Kyrgyz Republic. Yolanda Kakabadse, former Minister of Environment, Ecuador, and President, International Union for the Conservation of Nature; and Uma Lele, Senior Adviser, World Bank, participated in a roundtable discussion on Sustainability in mountain development.
The discussion was called to order by the sounding of an Alpenhorn, following a screening of Mountain Diary an RAI Italian television documentary of the Overland truck expedition, which travels the world to promote knowledge of different cultures. Also two musical interludes by Austrian composer/trumpet soloist Franz Hackl was featured.
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