Aspen hosts summit of mountain nations for sustainable future
The daily side events are open to delegates and the public
Delegates from mountain countries around the world are gathering this week in Aspen for the Sixth Global Meeting of the Mountain Partnership, the main event of the International Year of Sustainable Mountain Development 2022.
The United Nations alliance is dedicated to mountain peoples and environments, with over 450 members from 96 countries, including national and local governments, intergovernmental organizations, NGOs, private sector businesses, and nonprofits.
The Global Meeting in Aspen is the culmination of the year’s efforts to place sustainability and the resilience of mountain ecosystems and communities at the center of international processes, policies, and investments within the framework of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, officials said.
This week, delegates will share plans to protect mountains and set the organization’s agenda and high-level advocacy goals for the next four years. The meeting will be conducted in English, French, Russian and Spanish.
“This is an opportunity for Mountain Partnership delegates and dignitaries from all over the world to network and forge meaningful relationships with representatives from our communities, businesses, educational institutions and governments in Colorado and throughout North America,” said Eric Smith, vice president of the Aspen International Mountain Foundation.
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis will be in Aspen on Tuesday morning to welcome members to the event. Sen. Michael Bennet, Sen. John Hickenlooper and U.S. Rep. Joe Neguse plan to participate virtually.
The Global Meeting in Aspen is co-hosted by the state of Colorado, the Aspen Institute, the city of Aspen, along with the nonprofit organizing the event, the Aspen International Mountain Foundation.
The state of Colorado recently became the first state in the nation to join the Mountain Partnership. The city of Aspen joined in 2010, making it the first U.S. government member.
In addition to member plenary sessions, there will be a welcome reception, an evening concert and daily side events for delegates and the public on topics relating to sustainability, tourism and economic development, climate change, disaster mitigation, alternative energy, energy efficiency, and water conservation.
“With less than eight years to the expiration of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, it is necessary to accelerate solutions to the biggest challenges in mountains,” said Roberto Natali, plenipotentiary minister and directorate general for development cooperation for the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and chair of the Mountain Partnership Steering Committee. “We need investments and policies to combat the effects of climate change and to improve mountain livelihoods.”
The plenary meetings are limited to Mountain Partnership members. The daily side events are open to delegates and the public. All side events and exhibits will be at the Aspen Meadows Resort campus.
Passes to the side events and exhibits, the plenary meetings and the banquet are being offered to members of the media, students and the public. Passes to the plenary meetings are limited based on available space and for observation only. To learn more, go to the passes page on the MountainsMattersAspen.com website.
On Thursday, Sept. 29, the meeting will culminate with a public forum hosted by the Aspen Institute featuring a keynote address and panel discussions with high-level experts and dignitaries from throughout North America and globally.
The full schedule of public side events is available on the event website — https://www.mountainsmatteraspen.com.
Bar Talk: Barraquito
On a recent trip to Spain, I discovered something that I believe tops the espresso martini. It’s called a barraquito.
