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MOUNTAIN PARTNERSHIP Purpose The overall purpose of this Plan of Action is to: · Provide a framework with clear objectives and priorities for effective collaboration among members in sustainable mountain development. · Strengthen members engagement by defining their roles, contributions and inputs with respect to the Partnership Initiatives they have joined, as well as in other mountain activities they are developing or implementing within their country or organization. · Re-affirm commitment, support and political will for the achievement of the goals and objectives of the Mountain Partnership
Vision The Mountain Partnership envisages the improved well-being, livelihoods and opportunities of mountain people and the protection and stewardship of mountain environments around the world. Mission The Mountain Partnership is a voluntary alliance of parties working together with the common goal of achieving sustainable mountain development around the world. The Mountain Partnership addresses the opportunities and challenges of mountain regions, by tapping the wealth and diversity of resources, knowledge (including traditional and indigenous), information and expertise, from and through its members, in order to stimulate concrete initiatives at all levels that will ensure the improved quality of life and environments in the world’s mountain regions. Goals The Mountain Partnership stimulates long-term action in sustainable
mountain development by facilitating and promoting concrete thematic,
geographic and institutional initiatives. A key element in this process
is to maximize the use of relevant existing networks, groups and institutions
working in mountain and mountain-related issues around the world.
The Mountain Partnership, through the work of its members, is working to improve the lives of mountain people and protect mountain environments around the world. In view of this vision and recognizing that the full and equal participation of all members (countries, intergovernmental organizations, major groups), is essential for achieving common goals, the following key objectives have been identified for the Cusco Plan of Action: · Provide a framework with clear objectives and priorities for effective collaboration among members to achieve sustainable mountain development. · Stimulate the active involvement of all members in the development of existing and the creation of new initiatives, on thematic and geographic issues, that will lead to sustainable development in mountain communities. · Strengthen members’ engagement by defining the roles, responsibilities, actions and inputs with respect to the Partnership Initiatives they have joined, as well as in other mountain activities they are developing or implementing within their country or organization. · Empower mountain people, policymakers, NGOs and other interested parties to enable their full involvement in activities of the Mountain Partnership. · Establish simple but effective need-based tools and mechanisms for the collection, management and exchange of information and knowledge on mountain issues, for the Mountain Partnership as a whole and for each of its Initiatives. · Create or strengthen mechanisms for improved linkages, synergies and cooperation among members and for more effective networking at all levels. · Determine the need for financial and technical support for the effective and timely implementation of workplans developed for specific thematic or regional Initiatives and identify potential sources of support. · Ensure that action undertaken by members in the context of sustainable mountain development should be harmonized, to the extent possible, with the mandate and activities of the Mountain Partnership as a whole. · Promote partnerships to obtain financial, marketing, information and technical assistance services to be provided to rural mountain communities · Identify successful experiences, best practices and lessons learnt in mountain areas to adapt and apply these methods and approaches to other mountain regions where appropriate · Implement development-oriented projects in selected sites in mountain areas in order to generate experiences that could be extended to other areas with similar needs and conditions · Reaffirm the commitment, support and political will for the achievement of the goals of the Mountain Partnership.
Members would commit themselves to identifying opportunities and challenges in the above identified Initiatives (or those in the process of being defined), in order to develop time-bound workplans and strategies for their implementation. Specific workplans for each Partnership Initiative will be developed by interested members and will comprise an integral part of this Plan of Action, on an on-going basis.
In order to be an effective operational tool for the Mountain Partnership, this Plan of Action should include details about specific on-going initiatives, as well as those in the process of being defined, and highlight how these initiatives will work. The workplans for each Initiative, as they become more fully developed, may want to address and integrate the following considerations, from an operational perspective: Institutional synergies Capacity-building (training, education, extension) · identify successful experiences in mountain areas to adapt
and apply their methods and approaches to the different regions Collaboration, advocacy and awareness-raising · support initiatives at country, regional and sub-regional level, to promote sustainable development in mountain communities. Information and knowledge · establish effective need-based tools and mechanisms for the collection, management and exchange of information and knowledge on mountain issues. Financing · identify financial support for the effective and timely implementation of workplans
In accordance with previously agreed guiding principles, the development of the Partnership Initiatives -- and overall action within the Mountain Partnership as a whole -- will involve the use of effective mechanisms and tools. The workplans for each Initiative, as they evolve and describe working arrangements in more detail, may wish to include consideration of the following key mechanisms and tools, to be used by members and/or provided as services by the Secretariat for the Mountain Partnership, in close collaboration with the Mountain Forum: 1. Networking The Secretariat for the Mountain Partnership will also provide brokerage and related services in order to match technical expertise and financial resources with the needs of members and their Initiatives.
The effectiveness of the Mountain Partnership and the success of its Initiatives will depend largely on the level of involvement and the various inputs provided by its members. Members will derive mutual benefit from the sharing of knowledge and information about each others’ perspectives, approaches and activities in sustainable mountain development. The Mountain Partnership can also serve to facilitate a more coherent approach within its membership so that each member’s activities in mountain development (e.g. policies, programmes and projects) are consistent with, and fully reflect, the agreed principles and values of the Mountain Partnership. This Plan of Action therefore addresses the need for each member of the Mountain Partnership to assume a leading role in the collection, exchange and dissemination of relevant data and information regarding the policies, approaches and activities of their country or organization in mountain areas. This Plan of Action also serves to define each member’s specific contributions and their level of involvement in the Partnership Initiatives. This information will be captured in the detailed workplans being developed for each Initiative which will be annexed to, and comprise, an integral part of this Plan of Action on an on-going basis.
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