Dear Mountain Partnership members and friends, The United Nations Food Systems Summit<https://www.un.org/en/food-systems-summit> is only days away - see the programme here<https://www.un.org/sites/un2.un.org/files/un_food_systems_summit_preliminary_programme_sep18.pdf> and register here<https://www.unfoodsystems.org/registration/> to follow it. The Mountain Partnership calls on all of its members to request policies, investments and programmes for mountains in the form of actionable commitments. We have registered a collective commitment for the Mountain Partnership. Please find the text submitted in attachment. We would encourage you to consider registering your commitment<https://foodsystems.community/commitment-registry/commitment-registry-and-guidelines/> to support the Mountain Partnership. Feel free to use the same text submitted by the MPS. This Summit aims to empower all people to leverage the role of food systems to drive our recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. As providers of up to 80% of the total freshwater used by humanity for domestic consumption, irrigation, industry, food and energy production, the role of mountain ecosystems in food systems should be acknowledged, and actions to protect the "water towers of the world" should be taken. Please also find some targeted language on mountains below to be included in speeches and statements: "In mountain areas, agriculture and food production are important economic and development drivers. We would like to request attention to the particular reality of food systems in vulnerable ecosystems such as mountains, which do play a central role in sustainable transformation and food security at both local (food provision, rural development through food sector SME, tourism) and global level (provision of ecosystem services such as water). Mountains contribute to sustaining the livelihoods of 1.1 billion people living in the mountains and those of a much larger number of people in the lowlands. The role of mountains in supporting the world's food systems by providing up to 80% of the global fresh water should be recognized. Actionable commitments should be taken to protect mountains as the "water towers of the world", promote their adaptation to climate change, and recognize their role in ensuring food security. Mountain peoples protect the world's water sources and the rich biodiversity hosted in mountains. Promoting more resilient and sustainable food systems in mountains is a prerequisite to lift mountain communities out of high rates of food insecurity and malnutrition, which are on the rise and expected to increase with the COVID-19 pandemic. Sustainable land use practices, agroecological principles, traditional and indigenous agricultural knowledge and practices are essential for maintaining healthy mountain ecosystems. The investment and promotion of specialty mountain products and certification schemes can advance equitable livelihoods. The Mountain Partnership - the only United Nations alliance devoted to promoting mountains and mountain peoples - and existing regional mechanisms, such as the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development, the Alpine Convention, the Carpathian Convention and the Andean Initiative, are important alliances that can contribute to these efforts." Do not hesitate to contact us for any information. Best regards, Rosalaura Romeo Rosalaura Romeo Program Officer Mountain Partnership Secretariat<http://www.fao.org/mountain-partnership/en/> International Mountain Day<https://www.un.org/en/observances/mountain-day> FAO - Forestry Division Viale delle Terme di Caracalla 00153 Rome, Italy [https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/gqIsdbJ-NekVg0t35SHIw33f4cliWZbp2Wz5Q5uip9bE24nW5r3kLjk_S1tM_S-R75zDdf_b7GJtnGUo8feTLxhKRdwMMr9MJ__r_UA7icHIEwjrLTfQr6bTvO2QGl0XI3GsuJ_E]<https://www.facebook.com/MountainPartnership>[https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/ZgWjD5IDKWiC0Hh1Ep0l1O09_vy8Qo_O-rhLI6VoAnf0usKCQzmICiD4YiWzQr5aM41YQs9Z7xazrxpmi4wH0FCMoTNw7NAwzkBVgNOPpAHcOGq_pS7IEn4-11hrcV0VEJGcxmBX]<https://twitter.com/UNmountains>[https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/AhspbihT1mLjJF8yJiwruLoKuPRpVFvx5vJCPAW0hi_FLVLvWWnWdFDIml67HhFFsf6f6VKdoNDTxlduzJ8FJt6riXFMqNqpyi9OelYDn2nQFuxWOHH9Am16Po78qaDroGDp1nAS]<https://www.instagram.com/unmountainsmatter/>[https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/muD-V20eJKOndSq_YemW9Xq2rjUO4Sck-edTNykM7wVaXqU5e5tMUwMWlyKqftfKNhExFlGiTxF3Mu_8fWzTYLSdv0uLVOCVZ0tkpQqSngtauIJG_TdpXD-oW_T_f-9vBRDXi1sq]<https://www.flickr.com/photos/mountainpartnership/> [cid:cab3911b-086c-4357-b090-1c7f959aec77]<http://www.fao.org/mountain-partnership/about/en/> Subscribe to our newsletter "Peak to Peak"<http://newsletters.fao.org/k/Fao/mp_subscription_form_english> ######################################################################## To unsubscribe from the Friends-Mountains-L list, click the following link: &*TICKET_URL(Friends-Mountains-L,SIGNOFF);