[1][2] During the preparatory process of the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesberg, South Africa, in 2002, the governments of Italy and Switzerland, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) embarked on an effort to organize a new partnership to strengthen cooperation and more effectively address the needs of mountain peoples and environments around the world.

[4] The Mountain Partnership currently has over 550 members, comprising governments, intergovernmental organizations and major groups from civil society, NGOs and the private sector.

The work of the Mountain Partnership is spread out among four pillars, namely: advocacy, communications, brokering initiatives and capacity development.

Its Secretariat is crucial for the creation of an enabling environment for main actors to cooperate towards the obtainment of common aims.

The Sixth Global Meeting of the Mountain Partnership was convened in Aspen, Colorado, on 27–29 September 2022, with over 200 participants attending.