The IMA Coordination Unit has played a fundamental co-ordination role in the framework of the activities aimed at the promotion of sustainable development of transboundary mountain areas, first with the Carpathian countries, then with the South-Eastern European and Caucasus Countries. In particular, in order to foster co-operation, it has organized the first meeting on "Sharing the Experience", among the States belonging to the three respective areas, to provide them with the opportunity to share the experiences acquired in the field of mountain sustainable development and to identify possible future co-operation scenarios. To this regard, the Unit has made available its own experience developed in the framework of the Alpine Convention.

In June 2002 the first meeting was organized in Bolzano on "Sharing the Experience" ("Mountain Sustainable Development in the Carpathians and in the Alps"). During the meeting, the Carpathian countries played a leading role and their representatives and experts were given the opportunity to start a dialogue, which eventually led to the drafting of the Carpathian Convention (link to the home page on the Carpathian Convention).

During the week from December 12th to 16th 2005, two further meetings on "Sharing the Experience" ("Capacity Building on Legal Instruments for the Protection and Sustainable Development of Mountainous Regions in South Eastern Europe and in the Caucasus") were held at EURAC. Experts of the field and institutional representatives coming respectively from the South-Eastern European and Caucasus Countries attended this meeting. At the end of these two meetings, participants adopted two declarations (Balkan declaration, Caucasus declaration), which have highlighted the need for the development of a legal instrument aimed at the protection and sustainable development of the mountain regions under question, through a greater involvement of stakeholders in the Mountain Partnership activities.

These three events are part of a broader collaboration framework between the Italian Ministry of Environment and Territory and UNEP/ROE, aimed at the promotion of projects, conferences and partnerships for the sustainable development of transboundary mountain areas. The IMA Coordination Unit has managed the organization of these meetings on behalf of UNEP/ROE and of the Ministry of the Environment, concerning the meetings of the Carpathians and of the Balkans, and on behalf of UNEP/ROE as for the Caucasus.