Mountains loom larger as New Year approaches

Switzerland will be seizing every opportunity to show off its spectacular mountain peaks swissinfo.ch

Next year is the International Year of Mountains and Switzerland is seizing the opportunity to reveal the highs and lows of alpine life.

A former Swiss president, Adolf Ogi, kicked off the Year with an address to the United Nations, in which he stressed that mountains are not barriers but rather unite all the people of the world.

At the same time in Bern, which lies within sight of the majestic peaks of the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau, the Swiss foreign minister, Joseph Deiss, ushered in the Year at the capital’s Alpine Museum.

The UN initiative is aimed primarily at increasing international awareness of mountain ecosystems. Deiss said the project to develop mountainous regions was in keeping with Agenda 21 – a UN plan of action which is aimed at all areas of the environment affected by human activity.

The foreign minister also considers the Year of Mountains as an opportunity for Switzerland to play a leading role in preserving those majestic giants.

“I think there is much professionalism in Switzerland concerning mountains. Not only concerning glaciers or snow research but also in the field of sustainable development,” he told swissinfo.

He also said he expected this year to show what dangers the Alps are faced with, which, according to Deiss, are not only receding glaciers but also hurricanes and floods caused by badly managed mountain development.

Kyrgyzstan’s role

According to the head of the Swiss development agency, Walter Fust, Switzerland as well as Kyrgyzstan played a major role in the UN’s decision to declare 2002 the Year of Mountains.

“We were asked by UN entities to come up with ideas but as Switzerland is not a full member of the political UN we could not bring the proposal to the General Assembly – but our friends from Kyrgyzstan did,” he told swissinfo.

Deiss also emphasised Switzerland’s special friendship with the central Asian nation and said the future cooperation of the two countries would go beyond their current relation within the International Monetary Fund.

“This country will certainly be an interesting partner for us and we see it as a way to connect the Alps with the Parmir and Himalaya regions,” he said.

Sustainable development

In Switzerland, the International Year of Mountains is to be marked by a series of events and attractions based on the theme of the sustainable development. Most will focus on how to protect and promote the resources of alpine areas.

The Swiss aspect of the initiative, overseen by the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation, will include stressing socio-cultural ties within alpine communities and their economic welfare.

The government will be working in partnership with various organisations, such as the Swiss Alpine Club.

In his address at the UN General Assembly in New York, Adolf Ogi said the Year of Mountains was a means of exchanging vital experiences and information between nations.

Ogi was perhaps speaking from experience: his swansong as Swiss president involved spending two days hiking through the Alps with the UN secretary general, Kofi Annan, last year.

Development aid

Fust said Switzerland would be engaging in projects to develop mountainous areas in countries whose populations often suffer abject poverty and are marginalised both economically and socially.

However, he also believes that Switzerland should not only take on an educational role next year but also learn from other countries.

“We are not teachers,” he told swissinfo. “We have made our mistakes and achieved our successes and now we are ready to share our knowledge. But we are eager to learn from others, too.”

During the Year of Mountains, the agency will be coordinating Swiss activities overseas, particularly as the main partner of the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation.

The results of the agency’s work with other international organisations will be discussed at UN World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg next year.

swissinfo with agencies