The Swiss Presidency of the Alpine Convention hosted its first Permanent Committee (PC) meeting on 10th March. The virtual 71st Permanent Committee meeting was a short but sweet get-together for the Alpine Convention family.
The delegates from the eight Alpine countries, the European Union (EU) and the Observer organisations discussed priorities for the Alpine Convention and its workflow in the coming months.
One of the main agenda points was the Multi-Annual Work Programme (MAP), which will be renewed for 2023-2030. The active contribution from the Contracting Parties, Observers and Thematic Working Bodies will be extremely valuable for the elaboration process of the new work programme.
Delegates also discussed the upcoming 9th Report on the State of the Alps (RSA 9), which will look into Alpine towns in their diverse and unique constellations. An ad hoc Working Group, composed of representatives and experts from all Contracting Parties and Observer organisations, has been set up to work on the report under the Swiss Presidency.
To round off the meeting, the Permanent Secretariat presented the new Alpine Convention Atlas, which facilitates the management, visualisation and dissemination of Alpine-wide data collected in the scope of the Alpine Convention’s activities. This great new tool is free to use – learn more here.
The Permanent Secretariat would like to thank Switzerland for chairing a positive first meeting and we are looking forward to the road ahead!