Mountain Governance Dialogue: Andean platform and regional / intergovernmental programs work together to strengthen the Andean Mountain Initiative

Summary

Co-hosted by the Consortium for the Sustainable Development of the Andean Region – CONDESAN, as Technical Secretary of the Andean Mountain Initiative (AMI), within the framework of the Adaptation at Altitude and the Andean Forests and Programs, and by the regional office for Latin America and the Caribbean of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), in coordination with the UNEP Global Mountain Center.

This event was hosted in Spanish, with interpretation offered in English.

The Andean Mountain Initiative (AMI), a platform formed by the seven Andean countries (Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela), has as its central aim to strengthen regional dialogue, undertaking articulated actions that promote collaboration for the sustainable development of mountains. Currently, the member countries are developing a strategic planning process for the platform, through working groups, with the aim of developing a governance model, a strategic work plan, and mechanisms for its financial sustainability. The first Regional Governance Dialogue in Mountain Areas in the Andes provided a space for the exchange of ideas and experiences that can feed this process, and promoted a constructive dialogue with other international mountain platforms. Invited international platforms included the Alpine Convention, the Carpathian Convention, the Hindu Kush – Himalaya platform (represented by the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development – ICIMOD) and the Mountain Partnership. In addition, the UNEP Global Mountain Center shared experiences from the South Caucasus and East Africa platforms.

This event aimed to:

• Recognize governance experiences of platforms in mountain areas of the world.
• Identify opportunities for synergies at the regional and global level.
• Identify opportunities for strengthening the Andean Mountain Initiative through exchanges and training.
• Collect inputs that can contribute to the planning process of the Andean Mountain Initiative

Speakers

• Representatives of the Member Countries of AMI:
  • Argentina: Abelardo Llosa, Director Nacional de Planificación y Ordenamiento Ambiental del Territorio, Ministerio de Ambiente y Desarrollo Sostenible de Argentina
  • Bolivia: Cintya Vargas Amurrio, Ministra de Primera Unidad Madre Tierra y Agua, Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores de Bolivia
  • Chile: Adrián Díaz, Dirección de Medio Ambiente y Asuntos Oceánicos, Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores de Chile
  • Colombia: Vanessa Cortés, Dirección de Bosques, Biodiversidad y Servicios Ecosistémicos, Ministerio del Ambiente y Desarrollo Sostenible de Colombia.
  • Ecuador: Pablo Caza, Especialista de la Dirección de Adaptación al Cambio Climático, Subsecretaria de Cambio Climático, Ministerio del Ambiente y el Agua de Ecuador
  • Peru: Beatriz Fuentealba, Directora de Investigación en Ecosistemas, Instituto Nacional de Investigación en Glaciares y Ecosistemas de Montaña
  • Venezuela: Franklin Linares, Director General de Políticas de Gestión y Conservación de Ecosistemas, Ministerio del Poder Popular para el Ecosocialismo
• AMI Regional Coordination
  • Ana Teresa Lecaros, Directora de Medio Ambiente, Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores de Perú
• CONDESAN
  • María Argüello, Executive Director.
  • Emilie Dupuits, consultant for Regional Policies
• Representatives from global mountain organizations and platforms:
  • Matthias Jurek, Mountain Programme Officer at UNEP’s Global Mountain Center in Vienna
  • Wolfger Mayrhofer, Legal Advisor for the Permanent Secretariat of the Alpine Convention
  • Helmut Hojesky, UNFCCC focal point of the Austrian Ministry of Climate Action, and Chair of the Alpine Climate Board of the Alpine Convention
  • Philippus Wester, Regional Programme Manager of the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD)
  • Klaudia Kuras (Expert in the Secretariat of the Carpathian Convention, UNEP)
  • Božena Haczek (Head of Unit, Polish Ministry of Climate and Environment and focal point of the Carpathian Convention)
  • Rosalaura Romeo, Program Officer, Secretariat of Mountain Partnership

Event outputs

You can read the press release in Spanish and English.