Global Mountain Summit

The Bishkek Global Mountain Summit was held in Kyrgyzstan on October 29th to November 1, 2002 to discuss the issues relating to improving the lives of people who live in mountainous regions around the world and safeguarding the mountain ecosystems to produce the safest water that comes from them.

Kofi Annan, the Secretary-General of the UN had a prepared message read to the assembled delegates. He discussed the need to better the lives of people who count on the resources from mountains.

Shafqat Kakakhel, United Nations Environment Program Deputy Executive Director, stated the belief that the world needs to keep paying attention to the environment of mountainous regions especially to keep the water clean and environmentally safe.

Many issues were discussed in this final wrap-up session of the International Year of Mountains 2002 (IYM) including the need for international partnerships in work on developing sustainable mountain regions and taking action to avoid environmental destruction in heavily populated areas of Central Asia.