Crown Prince addresses Global Mountain Summit

October 29, 2002
Bishkek

His Royal Highness Crown Prince Paras Bir Bikram Shah Dev has said that Nepal shares common concerns with the rest of the mountainous regions of the world in safeguarding the fragile, vulnerable ecosystem of the mountain environment, promoting sustainable development of the rugged terrain and easing the living conditions of mountain communities.

HRH the Crown Prince, who was addressing the plenary session of the Bishkek Global Mountain Summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic today, said Nepal like many other mountain areas, is land-locked and deprived of easy access to markets, knowledge, and new opportunities for growth.

HRH the Crown Prince is Chairman of the King Mahendra Trust for Nature Conservation (KMTNC).

Far too many of our people live in poverty, far too many suffer from inadequate health care, educational opportunities and access to basic public services, HRH the Crown Prince said, adding that this has adverse socio-enonomic ramifications leading to conflicts.

Pointing out that the root causes of all these aberrations lie in the traditional pattern of development of the last century favouring particular geographic landscape as against the mountains, HRH the Crown Prince said it is high time the pattern was reversed in favour of mountain regions. The challenges before this summit was therefore to devise new development strategies that explicitly benefit mountain communities and to think more positively about emerging priorities.

Referring to the international year of the mountain which was marked in Nepal with a variety of activities both at the governmental and non-governmental levels, HRH the Crown Prince said perhaps the high point of these activities was the 3-day international seminar on mountains inaugurated by His Majesty King Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev. The seminar adopted a 10 point Kathmandu declaration which while reaffirming earlier declarations dating back to 1982 covers recent environmental phenomena like mountain education, geology, medical research, mountain ethics, cultural heritage and eco-tourism, HRH the Crown Prince said.

For the first time, a mountainous region of the country had a buffer zone declared when the area around Sagarmatha National Park, home to the highest mountain in the world, was designated as such to commemorate the international year of the mountain, HRH the Crown Prince further said.

Nepal's commitment to conserve the biodiversity of the mountain region is reflected in the growing awareness in civil society and in the rapid increase in autonomous organizations and institutions engaged in safeguarding the environment, HRH the Crown Prince said. Pointing out that one such organization is the King Mahendra Trust for Nature Conservation (KMTNC), established in 1982 under the patronage of His late Majesty King Birendra Bir Bikram Shah, HRH the Crown Prince said the trust was blessed with the leadership of His Majesty King Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev for nearly two decades. His Majesty has been gracious enough to continue to bless the trust as its patron and HRH the Crown Prince has now been entrusted with the task of leading it, HRH the Crown Prince also said .

Remarking that in the realm of mountain development, KMTNC is globally renowned for its integrated conservation and development programme that places people in the center for securing their conservation and development needs, HRH the Crown Prince went on to say that KMTNC's contributions towards making mountain tourism both economically profitable and environmentally sustainable has been widely acclaimed worldwide.

Nepal also feels privileged to be the host country for ICIMOD, the International Center for Integrated Mountain Development, HRH the Crown Prince said adding, we have been pleased to support its specialized research and programmes for the Hindu Kush-Himalayan region.

HRH the Crown Prince hoped that the summit would be an important milestone in enabling countries with mountain regions to provide for their peoples a more prosperous, peaceful, and a sustainable future.

President of Kyrgystan Askar Akaev, speaking from the chair on the occasion, referred to the gradual loss of the originality of the mountainous areas because of the decay of the culture of tribal people, international rivalry and migration and said that effort should be made to consolidate relations among the communities living in these area to regain their originality.

Prime Minister of Bhutan Lyanpo Kinjang Dorji referred to the new development strategy pursued by Bhutan and said that the international year of mountains has raised the awareness of the masses to the problems faced by mountainous regions.

UNESCO Secretary General Koichiro Matsuura pointed out the need for promotion of partnership between the government, non-governmental organisations and the private sector for the development of the mountainous region.

At the programme, the Prince of Liechtenstein and Prime Minister of Tazakistan Akilov Akil Gaibul Voich also expressed their views.

The four-day summit will hold discussions on various topics including the protection of the biodiversity and sustainable development of the mountainous region.

Heads of government and head of state of various countries, representatives of non-governmental organisations, senior officials of the united nations, and representatives of the International Center for Integrated Mountain Development, numbering 700, are attending the summit.

Meanwhile, HRH the Crown Prince attended a luncheon hosted by President of Kyrgystan Akaev in honour of the leaders of delegations participating in the summit.