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FAO Mountain Programme
FAO MOUNTAIN PROGRAMME UPDATE
2 August 2000
* Preparations for the International Year of Mountains (IYM)
The International Year of Mountains 2002 is approaching
fast.
IYM will be a unique opportunity to raise awareness on a
wide
variety of mountain-related issues and to promote action on
the ground in favour of improved livelihoods of mountain
people and of environmental conservation. Worldwide, a
number
of important initiatives are ongoing or have newly started
in
preparing for the IYM. Particularly promising activities
have
been launched in a number of countries through national IYM-
committees or similar mechanisms.
In July, the official Internet Site for the IYM went
on-line.
For the time being the site is available in English
(www.mountains2002.org), French (www.montagnes2002.org) and
Spanish (www.montanas2002.org). The site contains basic
background information (including the IYM Concept Paper), a
guide to partner organizations and events, a postcards
section
and an indication of new sections to be added in the months
ahead. The events section is linked directly to the Mountain
Forum Calendar on the MF website. Over the next months the
IYM
Internet Site will be further elaborated, expanded and made
more interactive. Also in July 2000, FAO has issued a press
release on the IYM, which can be found at
http://www.fao.org/WAICENT/OIS/PRESS_NE/PRESSENG/2000/pren0042.htm
Finally, FAO's home page now has information on the IYM
presented in a new piece under the News and Highlights
section
http://www.fao.org/NEWS/2000/000703-e.htm which was
developed by FAO's Information Division.
The IYM logo has been officially released. For the selection
of the logo, a participatory process was followed in which
the
Interim Board of the Mountain Forum played a key role. The
logo can be viewed on the new IYM website and will be
accessible directly from the
several formats. The logo is intended to be used for
activities related to awareness raising, promotion and
observance of the International Year of Mountains.
Guidelines for the use of the logo are currently under
development.
The long-awaited IYM Concept Paper has been published in
three
languages and widely distributed. It is available on-line in
pdf-format on the IYM websites. As mentioned in the past
columns of the MF Bulletin, this document provides a
framework
for observance of the year and preparations leading to it,
and
serves to clarify the overall approach, strategy and
substance
of the program for the IYM. Also within the framework of the
IYM-information campaign, an information flyer is being
finalized for very wide distribution. In a nutshell, the
leaflet provides an introduction into the IYM, presents key
issues in mountain areas and gives ideas for involvement at
the international, national and individual levels.
FAO has prepared a report to be presented by the UN
Secretary-
General at the 55th Session of the UN General Assembly (the
Millennium Assembly). As mentioned in the last MF Bulletin,
this progress report on preparations for the IYM was called
for in the resolution passed by the UN General Assembly in
1998. The discussion of country level initiatives to prepare
for the IYM are an important part in the report. The
advance,
unedited text is available on the IYM Websites as well as in
the MF on-line library.
http://www2.mtnforum.org/mtnforum/archives/reportspubs/library/iymun00a.
htm
http://www.mtnforum.org/mtnforum/archives/reportspubs/library/iymun00a.h
tm
An official letter with an attached questionnaire has
recently
been sent from the Director General of FAO to the Ministries
in the member countries. The questionnaire asks for
information on national focal points and national-level
initiatives for the IYM, mountain-relat
countries as well as key concerns and priorities in
the
mountain regions of the respective countries. This
collection
of national level information will create synergies and will
contribute to transparent, focused and coordinated
preparations of the IYM as well as of its follow-up.
* Strategy meeting for the preparations of the IYM
The conceptual ideas for the IYM have significantly
progressed
and evolved. It is time to enter into an operational phase
and
to concentrate the efforts on the implementation of the
existing ideas. It is therefore planned to hold a strategy
meeting for the IYM in November 2000. The objective of this
important meeting is to concretely plan and define the
activities, which will happen in 2002 on the international,
regional and national levels. The participants will consist
of
the members of the Inter-Agency Group on Mountains, the
focal
points of national committees, other key players and members
of potential donor and sponsoring institutions. IUCN has
generously offered to host this meeting at its Headquarters
in
Gland.
* Other FAO activities
As already announced in the previous MF Bulletin, Mr. Tage
Michaelsen, the former Focal Point of Chapter 13, has
rejoined
FAO headquarters as new Chief of the Forest Conservation,
Research and Education Service on June 1st, 2000. It is
great
to have Tage back in Rome and to have El Hadji Sène as the
new
Director of the Forest Resources Division. Both, El Hadji
and
Tage, provide strong substantial, institutional and moral
support to the mountain programme.
A draft of the Issues Paper on highland-lowland linkages,
edited by Prof. Jack Ives, is available. Once published,
this
document will provide an overview on the ecological,
economic,
social and political aspects of highland-lowland
interactions,
discuss case studies, identify knowledge gaps and suggest
elements for
urther action. A related initiative is the
Electronic Workshop on Land-Water Linkages in Rural
Watersheds, organised by the Land and Water Development
Division of FAO, to be held from 18 September to 28 October
2000. This workshop was announced to the MF and a number of
members have subscribed.
In June 2000, FAO participated in the World Mountain Forum
in
Chambéry and the related Workshop on International Mountain
Research in Grenoble. As many members of the MF are aware, a
project for a world charter on mountains as well as the
creation of a new world association of mountain communities
were proposed in Chambéry. Both proposals raised significant
expectations, but also caused some concerns in terms of
procedure and contents. The Mountain Forum, the Inter-Agency
Group on Mountains and FAO need to join hands and work with
the proponents in order to make sure that participatory and
inclusive approaches are applied in the further development
of
these projects and that these initiatives are heading into
the
right direction.
From 12-14 September 2000, FAO will hold the 22nd Session of
the European Forestry Commission Working Party on the
Management of Mountain Watersheds in Toulouse, France. The
theme of this Session is “Integrated Land Use Planning in
Mountain Areas”. Also in September 2000, FAO will
participate
in the Forum Alpin, to be held in Bergamo, Italy, which is a
bi-annual mountain research symposium. FAO will have a
particular responsibility in the special session on the
worldwide cooperation in mountain research.
----------------------
Douglas McGuire
Senior Forest Conservation Officer
Forest Resources Division, D-486
FAO
Viale delle Terme di Caracalla
00100 Rome, Italy
Tel: +39 06 5705-3275
Fax: +39 06 5705-5137
E-mail: douglas.mcguire@fao.org
Internet site: http://www.fao.org
and
Thomas Hofer
Forestry Officer (Sust
Forest Resources Division, C-382
FAO
Viale delle Terme di Caracalla
00100 Rome, Italy
Tel: +39 06 5705-3191
FAX: +39 06 5705-5137
E-mail: thomas.hofer@fao.org
Internet site: http://www.fao.org