KATHMANDU: The International Climbing and Mountaineering Federation (UIAA) concluded its 2026 General Assembly in Kathmandu on Saturday, with 95 delegates from 45 countries attending the meeting to decide on the federation’s leadership, finances, membership and future priorities.

Hosted by the Nepal Mountaineering Association (NMA), the assembly was held in Nepal for the third time, following previous meetings in 1982 and 2011. The 1982 gathering coincided with the publication of the Kathmandu Declaration, a landmark document in international mountaineering.

Among the key decisions, Heidi Harder of Germany’s German Alpine Club (DAV) was elected as the representative of the largest federation on the UIAA Management Board. Young Hoon-Oh of the Korea Alpine Federation was re-elected as Asia’s continental representative for a second term, while Nejat Akinci of Türkiye’s Mountaineering Federation was elected as a general representative.

Seyed Mohammadali Abdollahi of Iran’s Mountaineering and Sport Climbing Federation was re-elected to the UIAA Court for a second term. Etienne Grillot of the French Federation of Alpine and Mountain Clubs was elected chair of the World Ice Climbing Board, succeeding JoAnne Carilli Stevenson, who had held the position since the board’s establishment two years ago. Mick Connor of the British Mountaineering Council was also elected to the board.

The assembly approved amendments to several articles and annexes of the UIAA Articles of Association. The federation said the revised provisions and a full explanation of the changes would be published later. Delegates also voted on the federation’s 2025 financial results and proposed budget for 2027.

Two associations were elected to join the UIAA from January 1, 2027. The Mountaineering and Sport Climbing Federation of the Kyrgyz Republic was accepted as a full member, while Bolivia’s Club de Excursionismo, Andinismo y Camping was elected as an associate member. The federation’s final membership total will be confirmed in January. It currently represents around 100 associations in nearly 80 countries.

The assembly also elected three honorary members: Pierre Humblet of Belgium, former interim UIAA president and president of the UIAA Court; Josef Klenner of Germany, a longstanding Management Board member; and David Hillebrandt of the United Kingdom, former president of the UIAA Medical Commission.

The meeting followed a wider programme of mountaineering activities in Kathmandu, including the third UIAA Mountain Safety Symposium, which brought together experts to discuss altitude-related illnesses, medical emergencies, technical rope skills, equipment maintenance and rescue techniques in steep and glacial terrain. The programme also included the third Climate Change Summit, meetings of UIAA commissions and discussions on mountain protection, inclusion, representation and safety.

A separate World Ice Climbing Strategy Workshop examined the sport’s long-term direction towards 2034 and 2038, as well as a strategy for 2027–2030/31 and the role of national federations in supporting its growth.

The UIAA thanked the NMA for hosting the assembly and facilitating international cooperation. The next general assembly will take place in Puerto Varas, Chile, from October 7 to 9, 2027. The 2028 meeting is scheduled for Cyprus, while the 2029 assembly will be held in the United States.

The UIAA General Assembly brought together four honorary members among its guests: Jordi Pons Sanjines, Frits Vrijlandt, Ang Tshering Sherpa and Injeong Lee.