On 16 December 2021, the United Nations General Assembly adopted by consensus a resolution proclaiming 2022 as the International Year of Sustainable Mountain Development.

The year 2022 also marks the 20th anniversary of the first International Year of Mountains (International Year of Mountains 2002), as well as the 20th anniversary of the Mountain Partnership.

This resolution, which has been supported by 94 countries, invites all UN Member States, international and regional organisations and stakeholders, including civil society, the private sector and academia, to act to raise awareness of the importance of sustainable mountain development.

The resolution underlines the specific problems faced by mountain ecosystems as habitats for unique species of flora and fauna. 

Thus, the designation of 2022 as the International Year of Sustainable Mountain Development recognises the need to adapt sustainable development measures to mitigate the effects of climate change in these territories through a set of actions that address their specific needs.

The Pyrenean Climate Change Observatory (OPCC), has been working for more than a decade on mountain sustainability, specifically studying the evolution of the climate and the effects of climate change in the Pyrenees to help the territory adapt to its impacts. 

A few days before the adoption of this resolution, on 13 December 2021, the OPCC announced the ratification of a Pyrenean Climate Change Strategy (EPiCC), a unique approach in Europe that promotes the sustainable development of the Pyrenees through cross-border cooperation.

Its work and publications have a great impact on the territory and beyond, being part of reports such as the United Nations report "Sustainable Mountain Development" in 2019. 

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