International Conference on Green Economy and Sustainable Mountain Development: Opportunities and Challenges in View of Rio+20

The conference is a collaborative initiative of ICIMOD and UNEP

• To bring together major institutions and stakeholders working in areas of green economy, sustainable mountain development, and climate change to share information, network, and develop future strategic alliances to enhance a common understanding on the role of the mountains in the green economy. 
• To create a platform and build a constituency for making the mountain agenda more prominent in the global debate, including the upcoming Rio+20 Summit. 

Expected Outcomes

• A common understanding about the scope of the green economy, its relevance, and the challenges and opportunities for mountain regions
• A framework and rationale for a green economy in which developing and less developed mountain regions capture the benefits of mountain ecosystem services and ensure these services for sustainable development in the mountains and beyond
• Enhanced understanding and recognition of mountain ecosystem services, and their inclusion in national accounts and policies
• Positioning of the green economy agenda in relation to mountain systems, and an outline of a road map for the Rio+20 conference and other regional and international fora
• Actionable inputs for policy development for green growth in the countries of the Hindu Kush-Himalayas.