Salt Lake City Becomes the Newest Member of The Mountain Partnership

It is with great honor that Salt Lake City has become the newest member of the Mountain Partnership, a project launched at the World Summit for Sustainable Development in 2002 and officially partnered with the UN. Since its inception The Mountain Partnership has grown to 50 nations, 16 NGO’s, and 107 major groups, which unite under the banner of progress, prosperity and awareness to tackle the unique challenges that mountain regions of the world face.

Salt Lake City is the first Capitol City in the United States to join the Mountain Partnership. Other cities in the US that have joined are Orem Utah, Basalt and Aspen Colorado.

Utah Valley University, in the city of Orem is also a member of the Mountain Partnership and has been actively engaged in the Mountain Partnership. This has been manifest most recently with its preparations to host the 2011 Women of the Mountains Conference.

The United Nations has already recognized the diligent work that UVU has contributed to mountain regions through the Orem Declaration of Mountain Women, which recognized the important role that women play in the vital growth of mountain regions.

Mountain regions, like that of Salt Lake City’s, contribute significantly to the world economy on many scales. At the same time, life in the mountains is quite challenging in comparison to the living conditions of non-mountain regions around the world. High altitude, remoteness, and lack of developed infrastructure create a difficult environment for mountain communities.

Salt Lake is in an exceptional position to work together, create networks, exchange ideas, and exchange best practices with other mountain communities. It is important that mountain communities maintain relations and open dialogue on successful strategies that can be implemented to profit the community as a whole and foster sustainable mountain growth.

Salt Lake City lies in the heart of the Rocky Mountains and is accustomed to the challenges and obstacles that beset mountain communities. Salt Lake City has successfully traversed through many obstacles and created a broad and vast community in the surrounding region.

Mayor Becker has stated that this is a great opportunity for “Salt Lake City and other communities to with mountain climates to share both knowledge and historical data about development and industry.”

Through the Mountain Partnership Salt Lake City will have the opportunity to further increase its reputation throughout the world as a leader in the development of mountain nations and an excellent example that other mountain regions will be able to emulate.