On both the regional and global scales, 2003 has been a year of follow-up to both the World Summit on
Sustainable Development in Johannesburg and the International Year of Mountains and the development
of new partnership programmes. The International Mountain Partnership held its initial high-level
meeting in Merano, Italy. A major decision-support-system partnership that will strongly support
ICIMOD's work, also announced in Johannesburg, was formulated and approved. To follow-up on these
partnerships, ICIMOD will take a major leadership role in implementing both regional and specific
thematic content actions.