28 February 2013: At a regional meeting of the Mountain Partnership in Kigali, Rwanda, on 20 February 2013, African members of the Partnership agreed to create a “Mountain Partnership African Champions Committee” to facilitate the addition of new members to the Partnership and develop a common work plan.

At the meeting, the Partnership launched the Africa Water Towers Initiative with a variety of public and private sector partners. The Initiative will focus on research and generating knowledge on mountain ecosystems and stakeholders. The meeting led to agreement on priority areas of action for the Initiative, and was part of a greater effort to spur regional action and coordination. The Mountain Partnership is a United Nations voluntary alliance dedicated to improving the lives of mountain people and protecting mountain environments around the world. [Mountain Partnership Press Release] [Overview of Meeting Outcomes]