The five-day Asia High Summit-2002 ended here on Friday highlighting the greater need of incorporating mountain perspective in planning process and compensation for environmental services provided by mountain areas.

The summit, in its draft declaration, has recommended strong partnership among regional institutions concerned with mountain development issues in the Asia with the support of respective governments, civil society organisation and mountain communities to promote pro mountain development policies and programmes.

According to the draft declaration of the meet, the meet has recognised there is a need of site-specific solutions to be devised within the framework for integrated environmental and development strategies suitable for various watersheds and vulnerable ecosystems.

On the policy front, the meet has recommended that the World Trade Organisation (WTO) should be encouraged to develop rules of trade protecting and promoting biodiversity. One method may be, the meet suggested, to render differential duty free trade access to products from mountains depending on their elevation and fragility of the environment.

National polices and plans should be instituted to enable the mobilisation of domestic and international resources and to secure private sector participation as part of the corporate social responsibility for sustained mountain development, the draft declaration stated.

The other policy recommendations include trans-boundary co-operation and exchange of ideas, dialogue between lowlands and highlands and settlements of conflicts, among others.

These policy recommendations will contribute on developing mountain action plan expected to be formulated during the upcoming Global Mountain Summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan and World Summit on Sustainable Development to be held in Johannesburg later this year.

Over 100 participants from over 20 countries attended the summit and a diverse group of professional engaged in research, policy making, programme implementation and grass root organisation have discussed issues, challenges and opportunities faced by mountain communities living in Asia and the Pacific.