Thanks to their biodiversity and socio-economic function, the Alps are a region of global importance. Existing initiatives and organisations often have an approach to biodiversity that is limited in terms of time and space. The goal of the workshop is therefore to develop a vision that transcends national and linguistic borders as the basis for the development of a long-term action plan. The workshop - Towards a Biodiversity Vision for the Alps - will be held on 15 - 17 May 2002 in Gap (F). It will be attended by biodiversity experts from all the countries of the Alps as well as scientists from socio-economic and other fields. More than seventy attendees have already registered for the event.