11 February 2014: On the sidelines of the eighth meeting of the UN General Assembly’s (UNGA) Open Working Group (OWG) on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), panelists from Bhutan, Peru and Romania described their efforts to sustainably manage their mountain and forest ecosystems and to set examples for the global community.

The presenters underscored the need to balance forest conservation and use with a variety of industries, including tourism. They also called for the inclusion of forests and mountains in the SDGs, especially for their contribution to food security and poverty eradication. The Mountain Partnership and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) affirmed their support for determining priorities, targets and indicators for the SDGs.

The side event took place on 5 February 2014, in New York, US, and was co-organized by the Mountain Partnership Secretariat, the FAO and the Governments of Bhutan, Peru and Romania. [Mountain Partnership Press Release]