International Mountain Day 2025 event
Glaciers matter for food, water and livelihoods in mountains and beyond
Thursday, 11 December 2025 at FAO headquarters in Rome, Italy
10.00-11.35 CET | High-level event, Sheikh Zayed Centre
11.35-15.00 CET | Exhibition and ice cream tasting, Atrium
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Mountain Partnership Secretariat will host a high-level event on 11 December at FAO’s Sheikh Zayed Centre from 10.00-11.35 (CET). It will also be webcast in all 6 UN languages.
The programme opens with a video message from FAO Director-General QU Dongyu, followed by statements from distinguished speakers and mountain champions, the Mountain Future Award ceremony and a mountain youth panel discussion.
From 11.35 to 15.00 (CET), the celebration continues in FAO’s Atrium with the “From glaciers to cones” tasting experience, where visitors can enjoy artisanal ice cream and mountain products from Slow Food producers in Italy.
The Atrium will also host the interactive exhibition “On the Trail of the Glaciers” from 8 to 19 December. On display will be a striking visual exploration of glacier retreat around the world through comparative photographs and videos taken across time.
Provisional programme - Sheikh Zayed Centre
High-level segment
- Zhimin Wu, Director, Forestry Division, FAO (moderator)
- High-level statements
- QU Dongyu, Director-General, FAO (video message)
- H.E. Dinara Kemelova, Special Representative of the President of the Kyrgyz Republic on mountain regions development
- H.E. Krisztina Bende, Ambassador, Permanent Representative of the Swiss Confederation to FAO
- H.E. Jonibek Hikmat, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Tajikistan to the United Nations
- Filippo Lonardo, Deputy Permanent Representative of the Republic of Italy to FAO
- José Eduardo González Mantilla, Deputy Permanent Representative of Peru to the International Organizations based in Rome
Mountain Future Award 2025 ceremony
- Giorgio Grussu, Project Coordinator, Mountain Partnership Secretariat (MPS), FAO (moderator)
- Sara Manuelli, Programme Officer, MPS, FAO, presents the award to the three winners together with the sponsors Forte di Bard, Slow Food Italia and Sapienza University of Rome – Polo Museale
- H.E. Taalai Bazarbaev, Ambassador, Permanent Representative of the Kyrgyz Republic to FAO, presents special award prize
Mountain Youth voices: Stories from the Glaciers
- Stefania Corrado, Communication and Advocacy Specialist, MPS, FAO (moderator)
- Panel discussion featuring Mountain Youth Hub representatives:
- Jigchen Norbu, Bhutan
- Sambat Ranabhat, Nepal
- Mari Khruleva, Russian Federation
Closing remarks
- Cristina Pignataro, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Italy
Exhibition and ice cream tasting, FAO Atrium
11.35–15.00: From glaciers to cones
An opportunity to taste artisanal ice cream crafted with glacier and mountain water-fed ingredients by Slow Food producers in Italy, as well as high-value mountain products.
8-19 December: "On the Trail of the Glaciers" exhibition
This interactive exhibition will display a striking visual exploration of glacier retreat around the world through large-scale comparison photos.