KATHMANDU: Nepal Mountaineering Association’s executives have been elected to different positions at the International Climbing and Mountaineering Federation, commonly known by its French name Union internationale des associations d'alpinisme (UIAA).

According to Stephanie Valdes, Office Manager of UIAA, general secretary of NMA Rajendra Bahadur Lama has been elected as a full member of the UIAA board, while NMA’s senior vice president Iswari Paudel and NMA member Gokul Thapa have been elected as commission members.

“The UIAA Management Board has confirmed Lama’s election to the Mountaineering Commission as a full member of the UIAA board at its Spring 2026 meeting,” Greg Moseley, Commission President, said, adding that Thapa has been elected as a mountaineering commission member and Paudel as a Mountain Protection Commission member.

A UIAA Full Member (also called an Active Member) is a national climbing or mountaineering federation that represents its entire country and holds full voting rights within the UIAA. The key difference between a Full Member and a Commission Member in the UIAA lies in the type of entity versus the role of an individual. A Full member falls under the entity‑level category, while a commission member is considered at the individual level.

A Full member is also considered an expert serving on a specific commission. A “Full Member” is a country’s federation that owns the voting share. A “Commission Member” is a person chosen to do the technical work.