On December 13, 2020, the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of the United Nations approved a co-sponsored by the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences and Utah-China Friendship Improvement Sharing Hands Development and Commerce, two NGOs in consultative status with ECOSOC for the 65th session of the commission on the status of Women (CSW65). The statement urges the Commission to have mountain women and girls in the focus of the 2030 Development Agenda. The statement highlights the key role of the Utah International Mountain Forum (UIMF), a coalition of student clubs at Utah Valley University (UVU), in the effectiveness of UVU’s student engaged learning (SEL) model for students’ professional growth, international recognition and advocacy of mountain women and Sustainable Mountain Development (SMD) agenda of the United Nations.

The UIMF is continuing preparations for CSW65 by preparing to host a parallel event titled: Mountain Women Empowerment Through the Inclusive Student-Engaged Learning Model on March 22, 2021. The event will advocate for mountain women and girls while showcasing SEL and Utah as one of the best examples of SMD. The UIMF’s main priority in contributing to the agenda of CSW65 in this way is to get language concerning mountain women – who have been neglected in high-level forums on sustainable development – into the final document of CSW65.

Dallas Karren, Vice President of UIMF