UIAA general assembly 2019
KEY POINTS
Following opening addresses from the President of the Cyprus Olympic Committee, Mr. Dinos Michaelides, and the Sport Advisory of the Republic of Cyprus, Mr Phivos Zachariades, UIAA President Frits Vrijlandt presented key points from the 2018 Annual Report (AR). The full digital version of the AR can be viewed here. Vrijlandt also introduced the final year of his Presidency. His second four-year term ends in October 2020.
UIAA General Secretary and Treasurer Peter Muir presented both the 2018 and 2019 budgets and the 2020 budget forecast. While confirming that current losses were not sustainable, Muir remarked that budgeting provisions for 2020 were encouraging.
The UIAA EB (Executive Board) and MC (Management Committee) proposed new membership fee categories (Annex 1, AoA) for smaller national federations. This was approved and will open the possibility of UIAA membership to more federations worldwide.
No new applications for UIAA membership were received for the 2019 GA meaning the current number of members – 89 associations from 68 countries – remains the same.
Significant time was dedicated to UIAA Executive Board and Management Committee elections. Thomas Kähr, after seven years as an EB member, stood down from his position to take over Presidency of the International Ski Mountaineering Federation. The UIAA thanked the Swiss national for the energy and dedication he has brought to the role including the past year as Vice President. Three Board positions were filled. Zoljargal Banzragch (Mongolian National Climbing Federation), Mahmood Hashemi (Iran Mountaineering and Sport Climbing Federation) and Lode Beckers (Climbing and Mountaineering Belgium) join existing EB members – Vrijlandt, Muir, Helène Denis and Yongfeng Wang.
The new EB composition is as follows:
Frits Vrijlandt, President
Zoljargal Banzragch, Vice President
Lode Beckers, General Secretary
Peter Muir, Treasurer
Helène Denis, Member
Mahmood Hashemi, Member
Yongfeng Wang, Member
More specific details – including Board links for Commissions – will be communicated shortly.
Two vacant Management Committee seats were filled by Simon Alden (Malta Climbing Club) and existing UIAA SafeCom President Amit Chowdhury (Indian Mountaineering Foundation).
A motion by the German Alpine Club (DAV) on climate change was unanimously approved. Further details can be found here. As well as fully supporting the DAV motion, the UIAA also stressed the longstanding work it has dedicated to the subject including signing MoUs with key international parties and UN bodies (UNEP and UNFCCC). The UIAA Mountain Protection Commission is also working on Sustainability Guidelines related to climate change (guidelines will include travel/event planning advice, a UIAA internal climate change policy and an assessment of an acceptable carbon footprint baseline). The UIAA plans on releasing a dedicated news statement on Climate Change on International Mountain Day, 11 December.
Greg Moseley, Mountain Club of South Africa, presented details about the creation of a High Mountains Working Group, endorsed by the EB to focus on the issues facing the high mountains of the world. This group will continue to work with key stakeholders including member federations and local bodies to recommend policy. Please refer to recent statements published by the UIAA on Everest and Kilimanjaro.
Injeong Lee, President of the UAAA and former President of the Korean Alpine Federation, was bestowed Honorary Membership. A profile of Dr Lee can be found here.
For the first time, the UIAA GA was attended by a representative of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Irina Gladkikh, IOC Associate Director Winter Sports and Recognised Sports and IF Relations, presented three topics – the Olympic Agenda 2020, Gender Equality, New Norms. Her presentations will be made available in the Members’ Portal.
Thomas Kähr’s final act as UIAA Vice President was to provide updates on the progress of the Strategic Working Group (SWG), who released the latest version of its proposals to revamp the UIAA ahead of the GA. The day before the GA, the UIAA Management Committee discussed a number of the proposals and made recommendations. Two areas of the report were voted on – and approved – during the GA. The first was the new UIAA profile which reads:
The UIAA is the International Climbing and Mountaineering Federation. As the leading global network, we promote climbing and mountaineering and advocate for access to climbing areas and mountain ranges. While looking to our future, we value our heritage and care for the mountains, their fragile ecosystems, vulnerable communities and cultures. We serve the best interests of our member federations and of our worldwide community. For the mountains. For the World.
Members also agreed on the division of the following Strategic segments of the UIAA:
Mountaineering – including Access and Advocacy and Training Programmes
Safety – including Research and Gear testing, UIAA Safety Label, medical advice and documentation
Mountain Protection – including global Advocacy and current projects led by Mountain Protection Commission
Competition Ice Climbing – remains an important area of activity for the UIAA
The GA concluded with the traditional Gala dinner and Award ceremony. During the Ceremony, Dr Lee’s honorary membership was celebrated; Thomas Kähr was commended for his commitment to the UIAA and two member federations received Awards for celebrating significant milestones in 2019: 50 years of the Chinese Taipei Mountaineering Association (CTMA) and 150 years of the German Alpine Club (DAV). Other announcements made at the Gala dinner can be found below.
The 2020 GA will be held in Antalya, Turkey on 24 October and hosted by TDF – Turkish Mountaineering Federation.
Further Resources:
Minutes and presentations from the GA will be distributed in due course.
ALL PHOTOS FROM GA