International Conference “Global Mountain Dialogue for Sustainable Development /  Towards the Bishkek+25 Summit”

International Conference “Global Mountain Dialogue for Sustainable Development / Towards the Bishkek+25 Summit”

24 April | 25 April

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About the Forum


International Conference “Global Mountain Dialogue for Sustainable Development / Towards the Bishkek+25 Summit”


Mountains have long shaped the culture and lifestyle in Kyrgyzstan, which has become a global advocate for mountain issues. Recognising the vital ecological role of mountain regions and their vulnerability to climate change, the Kyrgyz Republic, under the leadership of President Sadyr Japarov, has taken bold initiatives on the global stage to prioritise the mountain agenda within the UN system. These include: the UNGA Resolution declaring 2022 as the International Year of Sustainable Mountain Development and the 2022 UNGA Resolution proclaiming 2023-2027 as the Five Years of Action for the Development of Mountain Regions—a landmark initiative to drive global attention and action toward mountain sustainability.

As part of our commitment to fostering dialogue and action, Kyrgyzstan hosts the International Conference “Global Mountain Dialogue for Sustainable Development / Towards the Summit Bishkek+25” on April 24-25, 2025. The event aims to integrate mountain issues into global climate and sustainability agendas while raising awareness of the challenges faced by mountain regions. The Global Dialogue will be one of the key stages in the framework of the Five Years of Action for the Development of Mountain Regions (2023-2027) and a preparatory event for the 2nd Bishkek Global Mountain Summit Bishkek+25 in 2027.

The participants of the conference consist of representatives of States, including mountain countries, associations of mountain countries, representatives of the international organisations, financial institutions and other institutions, and scientists, experts from Asia, Europe and Caucasus, America, Africa and Oceania.

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Videomessage

Day 1: State Residence of the President of the Kyrgyz Republic № 1


Official opening of the Conference

09:00 - 09:30
Zhaparov Sadyr Nurgozhoevich
Zhaparov Sadyr Nurgozhoevich

President of the Kyrgyz Republic

President of the Kyrgyz Republic Logo
QU Dongyu
QU Dongyu

Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)

Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Logo
Pak Chongho
Pak Chongho

Executive Director, Asian Forestry Cooperation Organization (AFoCO)

Executive Director, Asian Forestry Cooperation Organization (AFoCO) Logo
Nthomeng Justice Majara
Nthomeng Justice Majara

Deputy Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Lesotho

Deputy Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Lesotho Logo
Kemelova Dinara
Kemelova Dinara

Special Representative of the President of the Kyrgyz Republic for Mountain Agenda

Moderator

Special Representative of the President of the Kyrgyz Republic for Mountain Agenda Logo

High-level plenary session "Advancing the mountain agenda at the global level”

09:30 - 10:30
Baisalov Edil Zholdubaevich
Baisalov Edil Zholdubaevich

Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic

Moderator

Mashiev Meder
Mashiev Meder

Minister of Natural Resources, ecology and technical supervision of the Kyrgyz Republic

Antje Grawe on behalf of Ms. Amina J. Mohammed, Deputy Secretary-General

The UN Resident Coordinator in Kyrgyzstan

Selwin Hart

Special Adviser to the UN Secretary-General on Climate Action and Just Transition

Charygeldi Babaniyazov

Minister of Environmental Protection of Turkmenistan

Aziz Abdukhakimov

Minister of Ecology, Environmental Protection and Climate Change of the Republic of Uzbekistan

Edelgeriev Ruslan Said-Khusainovich

Special Representative of the President of the Russian Federation for Climate Issues

Umayra Tagieva

Vice-Minister, Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Azerbaijan

Yutaka Matsuzawa

Vice-Minister, Global Environmental Affairs, Ministry of the Environment, Japan

Claudio Barbaro

Undersecretary of State at the Ministry of Environment and Energy Security of Italy

Nurlan Kurmalaev

Vice-Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Kazakhstan

Filip Kuffa

State Secretary, Ministry of Environment of the Slovak Republic

Rahmonzoda Loik

Deputy Chairman of the Committee for Environmental Protection under the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan

Ilhamdzhan Nematov

Deputy Secretary General, Executive Committee of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS)

Janesh Kane

Deputy Secretary-General, Shanghai Cooperation Organization

Merey Mukazhan

Deputy Secretary General, Organization of Turkic States

Bakyt Dzhusupov

Coordinator of Economic and Environmental Activities, Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE)

Arnold Kreilhuber

Regional Director and Representative for Europe, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)

Amir Piric

Director, UNESCO Regional Office in Almaty


Photo session and Coffee break

10:30 - 11:00

Parallel panel sessions, “Enesai” Reception House, Congress Hall

11:00 - 12:20

Session 1

Perspectives of sustainable mountain development Improvement of the socio-economic situation of residents of mountain regions

11:00 - 12:20
Shrikant Baldi
Shrikant Baldi

World Bank office expert

Speaker

Aibek Ashirov
Aibek Ashirov

Economist at the World Bank's Bishkek office

Moderator

Arzybek Kozhoshev
Arzybek Kozhoshev

Member of the Board on Energy and Infrastructure of the Eurasian Economic Commission

Panelist

Sanzhar Bolotov
Sanzhar Bolotov

Deputy Minister of Economy and Commerce of the Kyrgyz Republic

Panelist

Ando Takehiro
Ando Takehiro

JICA Representative in the Kyrgyz Republic, Business and Tourism Sector

Panelist

Kanat Tilekeyev
Kanat Tilekeyev

Deputy Director, Senior Research Fellow IPUP HSR UCA

Panelist

Haraguchi Akihisa
Haraguchi Akihisa

Chief Advisor of the project "One Village - One Product"

Speaker


Session 2

Natural disasters in mountainous areas and early warning systems

11:00 - 12:20
Azamat Mambetov
Azamat Mambetov

First Deputy Minister of Emergency Situations of the Kyrgyz Republic

Moderator

Yulia Varley
Yulia Varley

FINKMET (Finland) Project Manager

Panelist

Arno Kaiserman
Arno Kaiserman

Senior Researcher, University of Central Asia

Panelist

Cristobal Hernandez
Cristobal Hernandez

Ministry of Environment of Chile

Panelist

Sonam Wangchuck
Sonam Wangchuck

Cryospheric Specialist ICIMOD, Representative Government of Bhutan

Panelist

Harald Spahn
Harald Spahn

International expert on disaster risk reduction and early warning systems

Speaker

Daurbek Sakyev
Daurbek Sakyev

Director of the DMPES under the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Kyrgyz Republic

Speaker

Umayra Tagieva
Umayra Tagieva

Deputy Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Azerbaijan

Speaker


Session 3

Advancing regional cooperation with examples from European countries, Latin America, Asia, Africa and Central Asia

11:00 - 12:20
Zafar Makhmudov
Zafar Makhmudov

Executive Director of the Regional Environmental Center for Central Asia (CAREC)

Moderator

Olga Pilifosova
Olga Pilifosova

Manager, Adaptation Unit, UNFCCC Secretariat

Panelist

Maarten Hofman
Maarten Hofman

Accociate Programme Management Officer, Biodiversity, People and Landscape Unit Division, UNEP

Panelist

Sergey Kononuchenko
Sergey Kononuchenko

Ambassador, Special Representative of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation on Climate Issues

Panelist

Noelia Souk
Noelia Souk

Ambassador for Cross-Border Cooperation and Mountains Government of Andorra

Panelist

Claudio Barbaro
Claudio Barbaro

Secretary of the Ministry of Environment and Energy Security of Italy

Speaker

Kunzang
Kunzang

Global Coordinator of the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development, ICIMOD

Speaker

Luis Daniel Llambi
Luis Daniel Llambi

Knowledge Management Coordinator at Condesan

Speaker

Dilovarsho Dustzoda
Dilovarsho Dustzoda

Manager of the Regional Component of the World Bank RESILAND CA+ Program, CAREC

Speaker

Chinara Berbaeva
Chinara Berbaeva

Head of World Bank RESILAND Kyrgyzstan project Kyrgyzstan

Speaker


Parallel panel sessions, “Enesai” Reception House, Congress Hall

12:30 - 13:50

Session 4

Women, mountains and opportunities

12:30 - 13:50
Patricia Albrecht
Patricia Albrecht

OSCE Climate Adviser

Modeartor

Zamira Akbagysheva
Zamira Akbagysheva

President of the Congress of Women of the Kyrgyz Republic

Panelist

Oksana Gudkova
Oksana Gudkova

engineer Unison Group, Kyrgyzstan

Panelist

Takhmina Sayfulloeva
Takhmina Sayfulloeva

Deputy Director of the cooperative "Sarob", Tajikistan

Panelist

Aigul Orazova
Aigul Orazova

Director of the company “Standard Hyzmat”, Turkmenistan

Panelist

Hilke David
Hilke David

Deputy Director of the World Food Program in Kyrgyzstan

Panelist

Bakyt Dzhusupov
Bakyt Dzhusupov

Ambassador, Coordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities

Speaker

Barbara Magalhaes Teixeira
Barbara Magalhaes Teixeira

Researcher at the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI)

Speaker


Session 5

Providing Health Care in Mountainous Territories: Challenges and Prospects

12:30 - 13:50
Liviu Vedrasco
Liviu Vedrasco

Representative of the World Health Organization (WHO) in Kyrgyzstan

Moderator

Erkin Checheybaev
Erkin Checheybaev

Minister of Health of the Kyrgyz Republic

Talant Sooronbaev
Talant Sooronbaev

Director of the National Center for Cardiology and Therapy named after Academician Mirsaid Mirrakhimov

Speaker

Theodora Koller
Theodora Koller

Senior Technical Lead/Health Equity Unit/Health Equity Task Force, Office of the Director-General, WHO

Speaker

Conrad E. Bloch
Conrad E. Bloch

Professor of Respiratory Medicine at the University of Zurich, Head of the Swiss-Kyrgyz High Altitude Medical and Research Initiative (Zurich, Switzerland)

Speaker

Santosh Baniya
Santosh Baniya

Emergency Physician, Pokhara Academy of Health Sciences, Vice President of the International Society of Mountain Medicine, Secretary of the Mountain Medicine Society (Pokhara, Nepal)

Speaker

Kadar Pasha
Kadar Pasha

Professor, President of the Hypobaric Hypoxia Society, Chief Scientist, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research - Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (Delhi, India)

Panelist

Amanda Shriwise
Amanda Shriwise

Health Policy Adviser, WHO Country Office in Kyrgyzstan

Panelist

Kazue Oshiro
Kazue Oshiro

Director of the Department of Mountain Medicine, Sapporo Kojinkai Memorial Hospital. Vice President of the International Society of Mountain Medicine (ISMM) (Sapporo, Japan)

Panelist

Tang Xiangdong
Tang Xiangdong

Director of the Mental Health Center, Mountain Medicine Specialist, West China Hospital, Sichuan University (Sichuan, China)

Panelist

Santiago Ukros
Santiago Ukros

Department of Pediatrics, University of Los Andes, Santa Fe Foundation de Bogota (Bogota, Colombia)

Panelist

Alexandra Heath
Alexandra Heath

Ph.D., pediatric cardiologist, director of the Cardiology Center and the Cardioinfantility Foundation (La Paz, Bolivia)

Panelist

Edith Marianne Schneider Gasser
Edith Marianne Schneider Gasser

Senior Research Group Leader, University of Zurich (Zurich, Switzerland)

Panelist


Session 6

Impact of climate change on glaciers and the cryosphere

12:30 - 13:50
Thomas Sachs
Thomas Sachs

Senior Reasercher, University of Fribourg, Swizerland

Moderator

Sabira Soltongeldieva
Sabira Soltongeldieva

Executive Secretary of the National Commission of the Kyrgyz Republic for UNESCO

Speaker

Thomas Sachs
Thomas Sachs

Senior Reasercher, University of Fribourg, Swizerland

Speaker

Iskandar Abdullaev
Iskandar Abdullaev

International Water Management Institute (IWMI), Uzbekistan

Speaker

Zafar Gafurov
Zafar Gafurov

International Water Management Institute (IWMI), Uzbekistan

Speaker

Danila Uvarov

International Water Management Institute (IWMI), Uzbekistan

Speaker

Thilo Schöne
Thilo Schöne

Helmholtz Centre Potsdam - German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ) (online)

Speaker

Beatriz Fuentealba Duran
Beatriz Fuentealba Duran

Executive Chairman of the National Institute for the Study of Glaciers and Mountain Ecosystems (INAIGEM), Peru

Speaker

Takir Balykbaev
Takir Balykbaev

Central Asian Regional Glaciological Centre Category 2 under the auspices of UNESCO, Republic Kazakhstan

Speaker

Barbara Janusz-Pavletta
Barbara Janusz-Pavletta

Regional Representative for Central Asia, International Water Management Institute (IWMI)

Panelist

Sergey Erokhin
Sergey Erokhin

Institute of Water Problems and Hydropower of the National Academy of Sciences of the Kyrgyz Republic

Panelist

Azat Osmonov
Azat Osmonov

Environmental Policy Advisor, Regional Programme "Green Central Asia, Phase II", GIZ in Kyrgyzstan

Panelist

Sanjar Sadyrov
Sanjar Sadyrov

Research Fellow, Mountain Societies Research Institute, University of Central Asia

Panelist

Abror Gafurov
Abror Gafurov

Hydrologist, Helmholtz Centre Potsdam - German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ) (online)

Panelist

Rasulzoda Homidjon Hasan
Rasulzoda Homidjon Hasan

Leading Researcher State Scientific Institution Center for Glacier Studies National Academy of Sciences of Tajikistan

Panelist


Lunch break

13:50 - 14:50

Parallel sessions Reception House "Enesai", Congress Hall

14:50 - 16:10

Session 7

Agriculture and mountain pastures degradation

14:50 - 16:10
Zhimin Wu
Zhimin Wu

Director, Forestry Department, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), FAO Headquarters, Rome, Italy

Moderator

Venera Surappaeva
Venera Surappaeva

National Climate Change and Ecosystems Officer, FAO

Speaker

Marian Yaniga
Marian Yaniga

Director of the Institute of High Mountain Biology, University of Žilina, Slovak Republic

Speaker

Cathy Tran
Cathy Tran

Senior Partnership Manager Asia, Rabobank, Netherlands

Speaker

Ali Shaikh
Ali Shaikh

Head of AdaptX, Asian Institute of Technology, Thailand

Speaker

Burmaa Dashbal
Burmaa Dashbal

Executive Director, National Federation of Pasture Users Groups of Mongolia (NFPUG), Mongolia

Speaker

Tungalag Lkhundevzhamts
Tungalag Lkhundevzhamts

member of the Regional Alliance of Organic Farming of Central Asia, co-founder of SFCS LLC - organic certification body, Mongolia

Speaker


Session 8

Restoring mountain forests and landscapes in the face of climate change

14:50 - 16:10
Marta Radikovic
Marta Radikovic

Rabobank

Moderator

Azamat Mambetov
Azamat Mambetov

First Vice Minister of Emergency Situations of the Kyrgyz Republic, Major General

Murataly Tagaev
Murataly Tagaev

Director of the Forest Service under the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Kyrgyz Republic

Speaker

Park Chongho
Park Chongho

Executive Director of AFoCO

Panelist

Jelmar van de Mortel
Jelmar van de Mortel

Acorn Program Manager, Rabobank

Panelist

Ekrem Yazici
Ekrem Yazici

Forestry Officer, FAO Subregional Office in Ankara

Panelist

Leel Chandrakumara Randeni
Leel Chandrakumara Randeni

Director (Climate Change), Ministry of Environment, Sri Lanka

Panelist


Session 9

Protection of mountain ecosystems and conservation of biodiversity in Central Asia and other regions: exchange of experience

14:50 - 16:10
Chingiz Kochorov
Chingiz Kochorov

GSLEP

Moderator

Медер Машиев
Медер Машиев

Minister of Natural Resources, Ecology and Technical Supervision of the Kyrgyz Republic

Speaker

Nurlan Kurmalaev
Nurlan Kurmalaev

Vice Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources Republic of Kazakhstan

Speaker

Yutaka Matsuzawa
Yutaka Matsuzawa

Vice Minister of Environment, Japan (Online)

Speaker

Kostubh Sharma
Kostubh Sharma

Scientific Director of the Snow Leopard Trust, International Coordinator of the GSLEP Global Program “Snow leopards and the Mountains Agenda”

Speaker

Katja Kaupisch
Katja Kaupisch

Head of the Asian-Eastern European Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Union NABU, Germany

Speaker

Maarten Hofman
Maarten Hofman

Deputy Programme Manager, UNEP, Vienna

Speaker

Tanya Rosen
Tanya Rosen

Director of Asian Programs, Conservation X Labs, Turkmenistan

Speaker

Matt Raulerson
Matt Raulerson

project coordinator of the PF "Ilbirs Fund"

Speaker

Maxim Kulikov
Maxim Kulikov

University of Central Asia

Speaker

Nthomeng Justice Majara
Nthomeng Justice Majara

Deputy Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Lesotho

Speaker

Deputy Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Lesotho Logo

Parallel panel sessions Reception House "Enesai", Congress Hall

16:20 - 17:40

Session 10

Encouraging scientific research on mountain development

16:20 - 17:40
Christopher Gerry
Christopher Gerry

Rector of UCA

Moderator

Florian Betz
Florian Betz

Principal Investigator, Research Cluster Earth Observation, University of Würzburg, Germany

Speaker

Deo Raj Gurung
Deo Raj Gurung

Principal Scientist, Aga Khan Agency for Habitat - Bhutan/Switzerland

Speaker

Arno Kaiserman
Arno Kaiserman

University of Central Asia, Senior Researcher

Panelist

Asel Murzakulova
Asel Murzakulova

University of Central Asia, Senior Research Fellow

Panelist

Eran Edirisinghe
Eran Edirisinghe

University of Central Asia, Dean of Research

Panelist

Asylbek Aidaraliev
Asylbek Aidaraliev

International University of Kyrgyzstan, Academician of the National Academy of Sciences of the Kyrgyz Republic, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Kyrgyz Republic

Panelist


Session 11

Mobilizing financial resources for sustainable mountain development

16:20 - 17:40
Azamat Dikambaev
Azamat Dikambaev

None

Moderator

Zhibek Duysheeva
Zhibek Duysheeva

Deputy Minister of Finance of the Kyrgyz Republic

Speaker

Yasmin Siddiqi
Yasmin Siddiqi

Director of Agriculture, Food, Nature and Rural Development

Speaker

Thomas Eriksson
Thomas Eriksson

Regional Director, Middle East, Eastern Europe and Central Asia, GCF (online)

Panelist

Hannah Sabass
Hannah Sabass

Program Manager, GIZ Office in Kyrgyzstan

Panelist

David Manukyan
David Manukyan

Head of the UN and Sustainable Development Cooperation Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia

Panelist

Nthomeng Justice Majara
Nthomeng Justice Majara

Deputy Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Lesotho

Speaker

Deputy Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Lesotho Logo

Session 12

The Role of Mountains in Ensuring Global Water, Food and Energy Security

16:20 - 17:40
Sara Manuelli
Sara Manuelli

Advocacy and Outreach Officer, Mountain Partnership Secretariat

Moderator

Noelia Souque
Noelia Souque

Ambassador for Cross-Border Cooperation, Andorra

Speaker

Zhimin Wu
Zhimin Wu

Director of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

Speaker

Samuel Kanyamibwa
Samuel Kanyamibwa

Founder and CEO, Albertine Rift Conservation Society (ARCOS)

Speaker

Bakyt Dzhusupov
Bakyt Dzhusupov

Ambassador and Coordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities, Coordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities

Panelist

Claverie Tungaraza
Claverie Tungaraza

Associate Professor, Sokoine Agricultural University, Tanzania

Panelist

Chris Dickinson
Chris Dickinson

Senior Climate Change Specialist, Department of Climate Change and Sustainable Development, Asia Pacific

Panelist

Beatriz Fuentealba
Beatriz Fuentealba

Executive President, National Institute of Glacier and Ecosystem Research of Montaña, Peru

Panelist

Dechen Yangden
Dechen Yangden

Director, Department of Water Resources, Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources of Bhutan

Panelist

Song Yonghui
Song Yonghui

Chief Researcher, Chinese Academy of Environmental Sciences, China

Panelist

Rysbek Satylkanov
Rysbek Satylkanov

Head of the Tien Shan High-Mountain Research Center of the Institute of Water Problems and Hydropower of the National Academy of Sciences of the Kyrgyz Republic

Panelist


Coffee break

17:40 - 18:00

Closing Remarks and Conclusions

18:00 - 19:00

Gala Dinner

19:10

Day 2: National Park “Ala-Archa”


Speech by the leadership of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic

09:45 - 10:00

Speech by the co-organizers of the event

09:45 - 10:00

Speech of the representative of the “Ala-Archa” National Park about the reserve and the order of planting seedlings

10:00 - 11:00

Seedlings planting by delegates

10:00 - 11:00

Group photo

10:00 - 11:00

Mountain Products Fair and Kyrgyz Tea Time

11:00 - 12:00

“Mountain Lunch” buffet reception

12:00 - 13:30

Departure

14:00

Visit to the National History Museum (optional)

15:00

Organizers

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Co-organizers

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418

participants

2

days

12

sessions

110

speakers