The holding of an international forum to discuss current issues of sustainable development of mountain territories is naturally in line with the global context and consolidates the important role of the IPA CIS in coordinating efforts on international cooperation and addressing global issues of our time.

The proclamation of the International Year (2022) of Sustainable Mountain Development by the UN General Assembly not only confirms the need to preserve the global life support system, which is required for the existence of the global ecosystem, but also helps to provide a solid basis for further substantive work on the development and protection of mountain areas, which are of great importance for the future of mankind.

This event is the kick-off event in the chain of events leading up to the Mountain Summit scheduled for 2027. In this context, the decisions and results of the work of the IPA CIS in recent years are logical, in particular, the adoption of the IPA CIS Model Law on Development and Protection of Mountain Territories on 27 November 2020.

By the decision of the Council of the Interparliamentary Assembly of the CIS Member Nations the international forum “Sustainable Development of Mountain Territories” was included in the schedule of the IPA CIS events in 2023.

The first international forum “Sustainable Development of Mountain Territories” was held on 12-13 October 2023 in St. Petersburg. The forum was organized by the Interparliamentary Assembly of the CIS Member Nations, the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Russian Geographical Society.

It was attended by about 500 participants from 14 countries, including eight CIS countries: heads of legislative and executive authorities, representatives of international organizations, business circles, educational and research institutions, and mass media.

The main ideas and proposals of the participants of the International Forum “Sustainable Development of Mountain Territories” were reflected in the Final Resolution, which was sent to the parliaments of the CIS Member Nations, specialized ministries and agencies, as well as to all interested parties. The resolution includes a recommendation to support the initiative of regular organization of the International Mountain Forum.

At the meeting of the Council of the CIS Interparliamentary Assembly, summarizing the results of the event, the heads of the parliaments of the CIS countries made a unanimous decision to recognize the effective format of the forum as a permanent international platform on the issues of sustainable development of mountain territories and to hold the next forum in 2025.