Partners
The Alpine Convention has several partners at different levels, from local to international. An overview of cooperation activities beyond the Alps is available here, various implementation projects from our partners can be found here.
On this page you can find more information about our closest Alpine partners – the Infopoints, Youth Parliament, and Mountaineering Villages. Each of them contributes in their own way to turning the vision and goals of the Alpine Convention into reality.
The Infopoints act as a bridge between the Alpine Convention and the local level. Their strong links to the areas where they are located help them bring the Alpine Convention closer to people by communicating the goals of the Convention and involving inhabitants, administrations, tourists, institutions as well as private and public organisations. The Alpine Convention currently has nine Infopoints: three in Italy, three in Slovenia, one in France and two in Austria.
The Infopoints work to raise awareness of the Alpine Convention and its topics within their municipalities and regions. They participate in the annual Reading Mountains Festival and many of them contribute to the Young Academics Award with special Infopoint prizes for projects carried out on their territory. They also carry out their own outreach and communication activities and distribute Alpine Convention publications and promotional materials.
Infopoint Domodossola
The ARS.UNI.VCO – E.T.S. Association (Association for the Development of Culture of University Studies and Research in Verbano Cusio Ossola – E.T.S.) was established on 14 July 2000.
Cogne Infopoint
Located in Cogne at an altitude of over 1.500 m, the Infopoint is housed in the Gran Paradiso/Gran Paradis National Park Visitor Centre, a research laboratory which seeks to deepen knowledge of the protected area and its different environments.
Chamonix Infopoint
The Maison de Village of Argentière is located at the foot of the mythical Aiguille Verte mountain in the Chamonix valley close to the Swiss border.
Morbegno Infopoint
The Morbegno Infopoint was set up in 2014 and is housed in the Ezio Vanoni Civic Library, a modern (1960s) building designed by architect Caccia Dominioni that was recently adapted to fulfil energy-saving requirements.
Mojstrana Infopoint
In 2017, the Slovenian Alpine Museum became the first Alpine Convention Infopoint in Slovenia. It is located in Mojstrana, along the road leading to the Vrata Valley, beneath the northern face of Triglav.
Tolmin Infopoint
The Alpine Convention Infopoint in the Soča Valley Development Center in Tolmin was established in 2017.
Villach Infopoint
The Dobratsch Nature Park in Villach, Carintha, was Austria's first Alpine Convention Infopoint.
Ötscher-Tormäuer Infopoint
The Infopoint in the Ötscher-Tormäuer Nature Park is located in the Ötscher-Basis in Wienerbruck.
RRA Koroška Infopoint
The Regional Development Agency (RRA) for Koroška is located in Dravograd, a town in northern Slovenia close to the Austrian border.
The Youth Parliament to the Alpine Convention (YPAC) brings together young people from different regions of the Alpine countries. The YPAC aims to give insights into parliamentary structures as well as pressing Alpine topics like climate change (2019), children’s rights (2021), quality of life (2023) or the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (2025). The main results are resolutions containing recommendations from the different committees, which should be recognised and taken up by decision-makers in the Alpine region. Moreover, the YPAC is a platform for knowledge exchange and networking among young people with different cultural backgrounds.
YPAC participants were invited to present their resolutions during selected official meetings of the Alpine Convention. In 2019, for example, the YPAC participated as a delegation to the XV Alpine Conference and had the opportunity to meet with the highest representatives of the Alpine Convention. Further presentations of the resolutions took place during the 76th Permanent Committee meeting of the Alpine Conference in Radovljica (Slovenia) in 2023 and the 78th Permanent Committee meeting in Maribor (Slovenia).
The YPAC was founded by the International School Innsbruck (Austria) (Akademisches Gymnasium Innsbruck) and the Alpine Convention. The first session took place in 2006 in Innsbruck. Each year the Youth Parliament is hosted by one of the participating schools:
Akademisches Gymnasium Innsbruck (Austria)
Gymnasium Sonthofen (Germany)
Karolinen Gymnasium Rosenheim (Germany)
Lycée Frison Roche de Chamonix (France)
Fachoberschule für Tourismus und Biotechnologie »Marie Curie« Meran (Italy)
Liceo Scientifico 'Leonardo da Vinci' – Trento (Italy)
Gimnazija in srednja šola Rudolfa Maistra Kamnik (Slovenia)
II. gimnazija Maribor (Slovenia)
Liechtensteinisches Gymnasium Vaduz (Liechtenstein)
Kantonsschule Trogen (Switzerland)
In March 2018, the Permanent Secretariat of the Alpine Convention and the YPAC Association signed a Memorandum of Understanding and have regularly renewed it to reaffirm their cooperation.
Mountaineering Villages are authentic small villages dedicated to the development of sustainable tourism offers for inhabitants, guests, and the environment. They are located in valleys which offer a range of Alpinist goals and possibilities. The network of Mountaineering Villages comprises villages in Austria, Germany, Italy, Slovenia, and Switzerland.
The Mountaineering Villages work with their communities, aiming to protect their unique natural landscapes as well as their authentic cultural heritage. One of their founding criteria is a commitment from the various actors to cooperate, from the municipalities, the tourism sector, Alpine associations, and protected area management to the inhabitants.
The initiative is a concrete implementation of the Alpine Convention. It was started by the Austrian Alpine Club and the Alpine Convention in 2008 and is now a vibrant network between these organisations, the German, Italian, South Tyrolian, Slovenian and Swiss Alpine Clubs as well as the many villages.
In September 2016, the Permanent Secretariat of the Alpine Convention and the International Steering Committee of the Mountaineering Villages signed a Memorandum of Understanding.
