The event was the second mountain village conference in Central Asia, after a conference in the Kyrgyzstan capital Bishkek in September of last year. At the time Andreas Götz, Executive Director of CIPRA, the International Commission for the Protection of the Alps, had reported on the experience CIPRA had gained with the network of municipalities "Alliance in the Alps". The network itself focuses on sustainable development within the member communities, and is involved in organising an intensive exchange of experience at the international level.
The recently founded Alliance of Central Asian Mountain Communities pursues a similar objective. Its villages aim to achieve healthy economic, social and ecological development, and to exchange experience so they can learn from one another. Although the founding of the network proper took place only last week, the communities have already started to implement a schedule of visits.
The Alliance members currently include seven communities from Kyrgyzstan, two from Kazakhstan and one from Tajikistan. Four other Tajikistan communities are on the waiting list for accession. For formal reasons it was not possible to integrate them in the Alliance at the Conference.
The founding was effected in co-operation with CIPRA. The project itself is integrated in the Central Asian Mountain Partnership (CAMP) programme of the Swiss Directorate for Development and Co-operation. Financial support for the founding and development of the Mountain Village Alliance is also being provided by Liechtenstein and Germany.
CIPRA is supporting the Alliance's exchange of experience by processing the findings it has acquired in the Alps for use in central Asia, and also by participating in the publication of a magazine for central Asian mountain villages.
Information: www.camp.elcat.kg/CAMP/ENG/index.htm (en/rus), www.cde.unibe.ch/programmes/regional/reg23 (en)