The Government of Nepal hosted the first Sagarmatha Sambaad in Kathmandu from 16 to 18 May 2025 on ‘Climate Change, Mountains and the Future of Humanity’. This multi-stakeholder dialogue brought together diverse voices from different regions and countries to discuss the most pressing issues affecting the environment, economy, and other socio-cultural fields. Alpine Convention Secretary General Alenka Smerkolj was honoured to participate in this important international forum.
Ms Smerkolj actively participated in the discussions on effective ways to combat the climate crisis faced by the mountain communities and ecosystems and contributed an Alpine perspective. Her participation builds on a long-standing partnership between the European Alps and the Hindu-Kush-Himalaya through the Alpine Convention and the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD).
The Secretary General participated in panels in two sessions:
High-level Session (HKH Ministerial Meeting): ‘Collaboration and cooperation beyond borders’
Parallel Session 2: ‘Connecting highlands to islands’
In her interventions she recalled the urgency of environmental crises faced by both mountain and coastal communities around the world. The Secretary General emphasised the importance of transboundary collaboration to address these challenges and suggested strategic actions to further strengthen regional cooperation among mountain nations and pathways to bolster their voice in regional and global decision-making forums.
Ms Smerkolj’s main message was: “In the Alps and in the Hindu-Kush-Himalaya, the so-called ‘water towers of Europe and Asia’, environmental challenges transcend national boundaries. It is crucial to recognise that the regions’ unique resources, such as water, air, and biodiversity, are shared, and that the impacts of their degradation have cascading effects across borders and in downstream regions. We should not let national borders keep us from effectively protecting what provides a basis of life of millions of people.”