26 November 2014: The Mountain Partnership Secretariat and Ev-K2-CNR presented the Federation of Mountain Protected Areas (FMPA), a global alliance of mountain protected areas (PAs), at the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) World Parks Congress, which convened in Sydney, Australia, from 12-19 November 2014. The FMPA will provide a platform to share information, experiences and best practices to facilitate the management of mountain PAs.

Participants at the event ‘Mountain Protected Areas: a Worldwide Heritage,’ stressed the role of mountain PAs in maintaining ecosystem goods and services for both highland and lowland communities, as well as the importance of networks of mountain PA managers to facilitate learning. Some suggested long-term mountain protection is only possible when PA managers include visitors and other mountain stakeholders in protection efforts. Others noted the role of mountain PAs in providing connectivity across landscapes.

Thomas Hofer, Mountain Partnership Secretariat Coordinator, underscored the need to share approaches, research, methodologies and results among different geographic and social contexts to ensure sustainable management of mountain PAs.

The FMPA will use an online tool to facilitate the: flow of information; exchange of good practices, knowledge and experiences; implementation of instructions and directives; and sharing of successful management guidelines. The platform will also provide: updated findings and best practices on mountain PAs and related management; forums to share experiences and collaborate on common projects; management documents and publications; information on events and funding opportunities; and an advocacy platform to support the needs of mountain PAs at the institutional level.

The FMPA is designed to be used by park staff, institutional and local community managers and others engaged in managing mountain PAs.

Participants also discussed and supported the Federation’s formation at a session on ‘Watershed management-modern approaches to parks and PA management,’ organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO).

The Mountain Partnership is a UN voluntary alliance dedicated to sustainable mountain development. [Mountain Partnership Press Release, 20 November] [Mountain Partnership Press Release, 26 November] [IISD RS Coverage of World Parks Congress]