Second Consultation of the Interim Bureau of the Adelboden Group: mobilising for the final phase of the project (13-14 November 2006, Rome, Italy)
The Interim Bureau of the Adelboden Group met for the second time at FAO Headquarters in Rome from 13-14 November 2006. As the consultative body to the SARD-M Project, the Interim Bureau reviewed the progress made in the implementation of Project activities in 2006, outputs of the project particularly related to the SARD-M policy assessments at the regional and interregional levels, and provided advice on the dissemination of project outputs and the project work plan for 2007. Specific discussions were also held on the organization of a Third Meeting of the Adelboden Group and the possible future of SARD-M work from 2008 and beyond. [more...]

Workshop “Local authorities and decentralized cooperation for sustainable mountain development” (18 October 2006, Rome, Italy)
The Mountain Partnership Secretariat in association with the SARD-M Project, the FAO Decentralized Cooperation Programme, the European Association of Elected Representatives from Mountain Areas (AEM), the Unione Nazionale Comuni Comunità Enti Montani (UNCEM) and EUROMONTANA organized a workshop focusing on the potential of decentralized cooperation and the role of local authorities for promoting sustainable mountain development at a global level. [more...]

Workshop on “Drawing lessons and learning good practices on policies for sustainable livelihoods of mountain people in the Mediterranean region’’ (8-10 September 2006, Tabarka, Tunisia)
38 participants from the Balkans, Maghreb and Turkey participated in the regional workshop organised by CIHEAM-IAM Bari in collaboration with the FAO Livelihood Support Programme and SARD-M Project, and IRESA (Institution de la Recherche et de l’Enseignement Supérieur Agricoles) from Tunisia. [more...]

Regional workshop in the Hindu Kush-Himalaya (17-18 July 2006, Kathmandu, Nepal)
Organized by ICIMOD, the Regional Focal Point for the Hindu Kush-Himalaya, this regional workshop has focused on the SARD-M policy assessments conducted in Bhutan, China (Sichuan), India (Sikkim) and Nepal.
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Second Meeting of Regional Focal Points: Comparing project implementation experiences and discussions for the future (19-21 April 2006, Rome, Italy)
From 19-21 April 2006, the Regional Focal Points of the SARD-M Project gathered at FAO headquarters in Rome to discuss the progress made in the implementation of activities in their respective regions, developments on networking and collaboration, and on how the project can move forward in the future. [more...]

Events and first outputs of the International Conference on Agrarian Reform and Rural Development (7-10 March 2006 in Porto Alegre, Brazil)
A special theme session, titled “The language we have to talk in the Mountain Areas’’, and a presentation on SARD in mountain regions during the Partnerships Initiatives Fair were organised by the Swiss Government and the Adelboden Group in collaboration with the SARD-M Project. The ICARRD conference concluded with the adoption of a Final Declaration calling for all Governments to adopt agrarian reform and rural development policies and programmes that benefit the poor and most marginalized.
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Second year of activities approved by the SARD-M Project Steering Committee: Reinforcement of activities started and expansion into Sub-Saharan Africa
On 13 February 2006, the SARD-M Project Steering Committee met for the second time at FAO headquarters to review the progress of the project in 2005 and the proposed work plan and budget for 2006. The Steering Committee approved the continuation and reinforcement of activities started in 2005 and expansion of the project into Sub-Saharan Africa. [more...]

Organizing a process of participation and negotiation for territorial development in mountain areas: the experience of the Huancavelica Central Area (Peru)
In 2005, the Peruvian Centre of Social Studies conducted a case study for the SARD-M Project in the Andean department of Huancavelica, Peru, utilising the Participatory and Negotiated Territorial Development (PNTD) approach for local development planning and management. The report and a four-page information sheet summarizing the main findings are now available. [more...]

Organizing a process of participation and negotiation for territorial development in mountain areas: the experience of the Huancavelica Central Area (Peru), a case study conducted by CEPES
The document includes in particular lessons learned from the implementation of a participatory and negotiated process for territorial and sustainable development, and suggestions of key elements needed for strategic policies for the sustainable development of mountain areas. [more...]

Results of policy assessments on the strengths and weaknesses of mountain policies for SARD in Central America
A four-page information sheet, a brief summary and report on the SARD-M Project activities in Central America are now available. They include lessons learned and suggestions on the general condition of the hillsides in general, application of the SARD-M concept, level of familiarity with SARD policies and the political and participatory processes, technical procedures and resource mobilization involved in the formulation, implementation and monitoring and evaluation of SARD-M policies. [more...]

Results of policy assessments on the strengths and weaknesses of mountain policies for SARD in the Carpathians: national reports in Romania, the Slovak Republic and Ukraine
The report of the SARD-M policy assessments in the Carpathians presenting the main results of the assessments in Romania, the Slovak Republic and Ukraine is now available. [more...]

Results of policy assessments on the strengths and weaknesses of mountain policies for SARD in the Carpathians
A four-page information sheet and a brief summary (19 pages) on the SARD-M Project activities in the Carpathians are now available. They include 22 recommendations at a global level or on some major issues for the Carpathians such as biodiversity conservation, sustainable land-use, income generation and diversification of rural activities as well as proposals for follow-up activities. [more...]

First Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Framework Convention on the Protection and Sustainable Development of the Carpathians (11-13 December 2006, Kiev, Ukraine)
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. [more...]

ICIMOD workshop on “Policy Priorities for Sustainable Mountain Development” (18-20 September 2006, Kathmandu, Nepal)
The purpose of the workshop, organized in the framework of a GTZ-ICIMOD programme on policy processes, was to share lessons, experiences, and good practices gained in the Hindu Kush-Himalayan region with a particular focus on the discussion of important policy issues, options, priorities, and solutions related to the conservation of natural resources, production of goods and services, environmental management, social and gender equity and sustainable development issues. [more...]

5th European Mountain Convention: Cohesion for growth (14-15 September 2006, Chavez, Portugal)
Organized by Euromontana, the 5th European Mountain Convention will concentrate on making the case for territorial cohesion as a contributor to the European growth agenda. UNEP Vienna-Interim Secretariat of the Carpathian Convention and the SARD-M Project will facilitate the working group “Planting seeds for future Carpathian and Balkan Generations: towards new policy packages for SARD in mountain regions in light of regional challenges”. [more...]

Consultation on “Cooperation for the Protection and Sustainable Development of Mountain Regions in South Eastern Europe” (12-13 May 2006, in Pelister, Macedonia)
The Balkan Foundation for Sustainable Development (BFSD) with the support of United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Italian Ministry of Environment and Territory, and European Academy (EURAC) organized an intergovernmental consultation on “Cooperation for the Protection and Sustainable Development of Mountain Regions in South Eastern Europe”. [more...]

International seminar on rural development policies in Mediterranean countries in the context of neighbourhood policies of the European Union 2007 – 2013 (8-9 February 2006, Cairo, Egypt)
The results of this Seminar, including plenary session and workshops documents, summaries, final conclusions and recommendations are now available. [more...]

The Carpathian Convention entered into force
On the 4 January 2006, the Carpathian Convention entered into force as a new international treaty to conserve the rich wildlife, wondrous landscapes and cultural heritage of the Carpathian mountainous region. [more...]