Bonn, Germany — The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) have signed a three-year memorandum of understanding to strengthen climate action across the Hindu Kush Himalayan (HKH) region.
The agreement, signed by UNFCCC Executive Secretary Simon Stiell and ICIMOD Director General Pema Gyamtsho during the 62nd UN Climate Meetings, aims to bolster regional leadership in climate action, enhance implementation of the Paris Agreement, and support countries in tracking progress through the Enhanced Transparency Framework (ETF).
The ETF is a key component of the 2015 Paris Agreement, enabling countries to transparently monitor climate commitments and identify support needs. The partnership will emphasize capacity-building, climate-smart investment, and evidence-based policymaking.
The HKH region—covering Afghanistan, Bangladesh, China, India, Myanmar, Nepal, and Pakistan—is among the most vulnerable to climate change. Melting glaciers, rising disasters, and ecosystem degradation threaten water and food security, biodiversity, and livelihoods.
This partnership builds on ICIMOD’s longstanding observer role in the UN Climate Change process and its mission to assist member countries in adaptation, finance, and loss and damage issues. Leaders from both organizations stressed the importance of transparency, collaboration, and data-driven action to address climate challenges and meet global temperature goals.
