The United Nations Environment Programme Vienna – Interim Secretariat of the Carpathian Convention (UNEP Vienna ISCC) organized the First Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Framework Convention on the Protection and Sustainable Development of the Carpathians.

This meeting aimed notably to discuss the Carpathian Convention programme of work, its cooperation with the European Union and other conventions and international bodies, and the preparation of the “Carpathian Declaration”.

The SARD-M Project has contributed to the Secretariat note on sustainable agriculture, rural development and forestry – Article 7 of the “Carpathian Convention”. This note is intended to provide inputs and recommendations on pursuing SARD-M policies in the Carpathians, and in particular, recommends the establishment of the Working Group on sustainable agriculture, rural development and forestry.

A background note, in Annex 1, presents the main outputs of the assessments of strengths and weaknesses of SARD-M related policies in the Carpathians implemented in the framework of the SARD-M Project. The “Brief Summary on Policy Consultation on Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development in the Carpathians” is also included in the participants’ documentation as information document (UNEP/CC/COP1/INF.3).