Measuring progress in nature conservation
against the CBD and PEBLDS
Draft statement on "Protection and Sustainable
Development of Mountain Regions in South Eastern Europe (Balkans)"
Following a workshop: "Sharing the experience - Capacity
Building on Legal Instruments for the Protection and Sustainable
Development of Mountain Regions in South Eastern Europe"
(12 - 13 December, Bolzano, ITALY),
organized by UNEP and the Italian Ministry of Environment
and Territory and hosted by EURAC.
The participants from the South Eastern European (Balkan)
countries acknowledged that the mountain regions of South
Eastern Europe (Balkans) are characterized by rich biological
and cultural diversity.
At present the mountain regions in the Balkans face many problems,
such as:
depopulation,
poverty,
high unemployment rate,
environmental problems,
communication and infrastructure problems
political and economic marginality
The specific features of mountain regions call for development
approaches that duly take into account environmental, social
and cultural values as well as the particular constraints,
and that recognize mountains as providers of essential goods
and services to national economies of the countries in the
Balkan region.
The Ministry of Environment and Physical Planning of the Republic
of Macedonia sent an official request for UNEP assistance
to facilitate intergovernmental consultations aiming at enhanced
regional cooperation for the protection and sustainable development
of mountain regions in the Balkans in December 2004.
BFSD - Balkan Foundation for the Sustainable Development was
established in the Republic of Macedonia with general aim
to support the activities related to the Balkan Convention
Initiative.
The experience of UNEP with the Italian Ministry of Environment
and Territory EURAC and REC in assisting the development of
and exchange between the Carpathian and Alpine Conventions
as existing tools for the sustainable development of mountain
areas is well known and could serve as a potential example
for cooperation in the South Eastern European (Balkan) region.
The mountain regions of the Balkans are very fragile due to
their particular political, economic and ecological situation.
The sustainable development of these regions is crucial.
Therefore, we the participants of the: "Sharing the
experience - Capacity Building on Legal Instruments for the
Protection and Sustainable Development of Mountain Regions
in South Eastern Europe (Balkans)" workshop reached
the following conclusions:
o A regional legal functioning framework for co-operation
between relevant national authorities and regional/local
stakeholders has to be developed.
o National authorities should support the protection
and sustainable development of the mountain regions in the
Balkans through good governance, by recognizing the specificities
of the mountain regions in their legislation and by applying
multi-sectoral approaches.
o The regional and local stakeholders and their
involvement in the participatory planning process has to
be identified;
o The International Mountain Partnership provides
a good framework for this initiative, and interested international
organizations and other potential partners should be invited
to take part in it;
o A coordination body has to be established and
focal points should be appointed in participating countries;
o Preparation of the required scientific base for
decision-making that will analyse the current situation
and needs of cooperation on the protection and sustainable
development of mountain regions/areas in South-Eastern Europe
(Balkan region) should be elaborated;
o A multi-sector survey should be conducted by consultants
or scientific institutions, addressing e.g. the conservation
and sustainable use of biological diversity, agriculture,
forest land use, transport, tourism, energy, etc. and the
different trends in the development of mountain technologies;
o There should be increased networking among the
protected areas in the Balkan region;
o A bottom up approach should be used with adequate
involvement and participation of NGOs and local governments;
o The intergovernmental process of cooperation between
the Balkan countries for the protection and sustainable
development of mountain regions should continue with follow-up
meetings, with the support of UNEP (The Republic of Macedonia
offered to host the following meeting).
