ighland and mountain agriculture play an important role in enhancing food security and environmental sustainability in many countries of the world. Since the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in Rio in 1992, the international community has become more aware of the urgent need to enhance their collaboration on sustainable development of highland and mountainous regions of the world. The studies carried out since the Rio meeting demonstrated the importance role that the mountain and highland regions could play in alleviating poverty, enhancing food security, protecting unique natural resources, reducing the risk of floods and protecting the siltation of dams throughout the world. Presently, 12% of the world population live in mountainous and highland regions from which, 80% live below the poverty line, 37.5% are food insecure and around 20% are hungry. This also reaffirms the importance of sustainable development of highlands and mountainous regions on food security and poverty alleviation in many areas of the world.  The International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) is mandated to enhance research activities in partnership with national agricultural research systems to generate technologies for sustainable agricultural development of highland areas in the CWANA region. But, due to harsh climatic conditions and low accessibility in many countries, highlands have not yet received due attention from donors and international and regional research communities. This study is commissioned by ICARDA to assess the current status of agricultural research and technology development in the highlands of 3 countries of Iran, Morocco and Turkey, as case studies to review the highlands in various agro ecological zones, and to propose elements of a research strategy and research priority areas for sustainable agricultural development in highlands of the CWANA region.