The 2025 United Nations Secretary-General’s Report on Sustainable Mountain Development has been officially released and is now available online in all six UN languages. This important publication underscores the urgent need to address the growing challenges faced by mountain ecosystems and communities worldwide.
Prepared every three years, this report is coordinated by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in its role as the lead UN agency on mountains, in collaboration with the Mountain Partnership Secretariat, Member States, UN agencies, and civil society organizations, including NGOs like ours.
The 2025 report will be presented at the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly, in accordance with UNGA Resolution A/RES/77/172.
Mountain regions, covering about one-quarter of the Earth’s land surface, play a critical role in sustaining life on the planet. As the “water towers” of the world, they regulate the global water cycle and are home to extraordinary biodiversity. Yet, these vital ecosystems are under increasing pressure from climate change, land degradation, disasters, and socio-economic challenges, such as poverty, food insecurity, and limited access to essential services.
The report outlines international efforts and innovative projects aimed at building resilience in mountain areas. It also provides a comprehensive set of recommendations for Member States, including:
- Developing mountain-specific policies
- Promoting inclusive, evidence-based decision-making
- Strengthening regional and international cooperation
- Improving data collection and analysis
- Investing in local capacities and sustainable livelihoods
As a research-driven organization based in Bern, Switzerland, the Mountain Research Initiative (MRI) encourages all stakeholders, including policy-makers, researchers, and mountain communities, to engage with this report and its findings. Bridging the gap between science and policy is vital to ensuring that mountain issues are effectively integrated into global climate and development agendas.
This report includes a contribution from the article “Cross-chapter paper 5: Mountains” from the Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability – Working Group II Contribution to the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change by cross-chapter paper leads Carolina Adler (MRI Executive Director) and Philippus Wester.
Read the full report here in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, and Spanish.
Read the news on the official Mountain Partnership – FAO website.