The UN General Assembly Resolution A/RES/71/234 (Dec 2016) on Sustainable Mountain Development has recognized “that mountains provide sensitive indications of climate change through phenomena such as modifications to biological diversity, the retreat of mountain glaciers, flash floods and changes in seasonal runoff, which are having an impact on major sources of freshwater in the world, and stresses the need to undertake actions to minimize the negative effects of these phenomena, promote adaptation measures and prevent the loss of biological diversity.”
The Resolution “Encourages all relevant entities of the United Nations system, within their respective mandates, to further enhance their constructive efforts to strengthen inter-agency collaboration to promote sustainable mountain development.”
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the UN system’s authoritative global voice on weather, climate, and water, is taking the lead in addressing these challenges in collaboration with partners. The High Mountain Summit will identify priority actions on policy, science, observations, and services, addressing the effects of climate changes observed in high mountain cryosphere, and their impacts on downstream ecosystems, communities, and water resources.
Further details are available in the Concept Note below, available in English, French, Spanish, and Russian.
The Summit follows the release of the IPCC Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate (SROCC), which includes a dedicated chapter on high mountain areas. The Summit will be followed by the Santiago Climate Change Conference, featuring the 25th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 25) to the UNFCCC and meetings of the UNFCCC subsidiary bodies, from 2-13 December 2019.
The Summit will take into account the needs of WMO Members regarding the monitoring and reporting on targets within the Sendai Framework, Paris Agreement, the 2030 Agenda, and the Sustainable Development Goals. In the broader context, it will contribute to the Framework for Action for Implementing the 2030 Agenda for Mountains (2017) approved by Mountain Partnership members, and the International Decade for Action: Water for Sustainable Development (2018–2028).
Concept Note in PDF version