Italian Presidency of the Alpine Convention

At the XVIII Alpine Conference (22 January 2025), Italy took over the Presidency of the Alpine Convention from Slovenia for the period 2025-2026.

The Italian Presidency, hosted by the Ministry of Environment and Energy Security, in close cooperation with the other Contracting Parties, Observers and the Permanent Secretariat, will focus its work on the following areas of action: biodiversity, climate change, Alpine population and culture, and cooperation with other mountain regions. 

It will contribute to the implementation of the three priorities of the Alpine Conference's Multi-Annual Work Programme 2023-2030: conserving and valuing Alpine biodiversity and ecosystems; taking ambitious climate action; and enabling a good quality of life for people in the Alps.

Biodiversity: thanks to the consolidated experiences gained from chairing the Alpine Biodiversity Board (ABB) since 2019, Italy intends to enhance Alpine biodiversity, highlight the vulnerability of mountain and Alpine ecosystems, and capitalise on the contributions of mountain regions to the achievement of the global biodiversity goals of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). Through the ABB, Italy will continue to work on the technical aspects to support the Contracting Parties through the Interreg AlpsLife project and the elaboration of a specific Alpine Biodiversity Action Plan building on the policy brief prepared by the previous Slovenian Presidency.

Climate change: Italy seeks to promote a dialogue on local climate adaptation initiatives for Alpine municipalities. The aim is to highlight the actions carried out in Alpine countries and share consolidated and experimental principles and methodologies at the pan-Alpine level. This should foster – also in marginal municipalities – conscious local adaptation, the implementation of the Alpine Climate Action Plan 2.0 (CAP 2.0), and the development of resilient Alpine communities and centres according to policies in line with overarching adaptation plans. The Italian Presidency also intends to promote, through schools, environmental education and awareness of the impacts of climate change in the Alps among younger generations.

Alpine population and culture: the demographic, social, and economic data from the 5th Report on the State of the Alp  on Demographic Change should be integrated and updated to guide policies in: the sustainable development in the sphere of climate change, the promotion of mountain and rural territories, and the repopulation of these areas. Other actions will include the elaboration of an Alpine Culture Strategy articulated in thematic and transversal actions, as well as the promotion of cultural initiatives inspired by the Alps on the occasion of the celebrations and initiatives to be implemented as part of the events for Gorizia-Nova Gorica NEuropean Capital of Culture 2025. 

Cooperation with other mountain regions: since the Italian Presidency 2001-2002, the Alpine Convention has been promoting dialogue and the exchange of experiences with mountain regions beyond the Alps in order to foster common principles and actions for the sustainable development of mountain territories. An important action will therefore be to pursue the Alpine Convention's international mountain cooperation initiatives in different regions around the world and in particular with the Northwest African mountain region (Morocco-Algeria-Tunisia).

In relation to these issues, the Italian Presidency will conduct or support the following activities:

  • Preparation of the 11th Report on the State of the Alps (RSA 11) dedicated to the topic of Alpine glaciers, to be adopted by the XIX Alpine Conference. In collaboration with the Contracting Parties, Observers, Thematic Working Bodies, and stakeholders, the consequences of the degradation of Alpine glaciers on high-altitude as well as lowland environments will be studied, including the effects on permafrost and water cycle dynamics.

  • A conference on Alpine glaciers and permafrost, scheduled for June 2025.

  • A high-level conference on transport, scheduled for October 2025.

  • An international conference on population and culture scheduled in Belluno on 11 December 2026 on the occasion of International Mountain Day.

  • The Italian Presidency will conclude with the XIX Alpine Conference to be held on 21 January 2026 in Gorizia, Italy.

Programme of the Italian Presidency

Timeline of main events 2025-2026


PeriodPresidencyAlpine Conference
2023-2024SloveniaBrdo
2021-2022SwitzerlandBrig
2019-2020Franceonline
2016-2019AustriaInnsbruck
2015-2016GermanyGrassau
2013-2014ItalyTurin
2011-2012SwitzerlandPoschiavo
2009-2011SloveniaBrdo
2007-2008FranceEvian (March 2009)
2005-2006AustriaAlpbach
2003-2004GermanyGarmisch-Partenkirchen
2001-2002ItalyMerano
1999-2000SwitzerlandLucerne
1996-1998SloveniaBled
1995-1996SloveniaBrdo
1991-1994FranceChambery
1989-1991AustriaSalzburg

 

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