UN Headquarters, New York
EcoSoc Conference Room
12 May 2010 from 1:15 pm to 2:45 pm.

The 18th Commission of Sustainable Development of United Nations will host the SWOMM Side Event, “Sustainable Mobility in Mountain Areas”.

The event, to be held on 12th of May 2010 from 1.15 pm to 2.45 pm, is being organized by the Italian Ministry for the Environment and the Mountain Partnership Secretariat (FAO), with the institutional support of UNEP.

The SWOMM Side Event at the CSD18 is gathering experts of the transport sector, coming from scientific institutions from the Alps, the Carpathian region and the Nepal. They will promote discussions on the theme of sustainable mobility and transport, with a specific view to the mountain areas, presenting innovative scientific research and successful experiences.

DRAFT AGENDA
Opening and welcome:
Paola Lucarelli – Vice Director of Cabinet, Italian Ministry for the Environment, Land and Sea.
Douglas McGuire – Mountain Partnership Secretariat

Speakers:
Pier Carlo Sandei – UNEP/ Interim Secretariat of the Carpathian Convention
Mattia Poretti – Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC)
Margrethe Sagevik -International Union of Railways (UIC)
Filippo Dal Fiore – MIT Senseable Cities Lab
Luca Cetara – SWOMM Scientific Secretariat

Link to website
http://www.un.org/esa/dsd/csd/csd_csd18.shtml

It was established following the success of the UN International Year of Mountains in 2002, which promoted global awareness on the importance of mountains, stimulated the establishment of national committees in 78 countries and strengthened alliances through supporting the creation of the International Partnership for Sustainable Development in Mountain Regions (Mountain Partnership).

FAO was the designated lead coordinating agency for International Year of Mountains and is mandated to lead observance of International Mountain Day.

The “International Mountain Day is an opportunity to create awareness about the importance of mountains to life, to highlight the opportunities and constraints in mountain development and to build partnerships that will bring positive change to the world’s mountains and highlands“.