A/RES/55/189 2. Encourages all States, the United Nations system and all other actors to take advantage of the International Year of Mountains to ensure the present and future well-being of mountain communities by promoting conservation and sustainable development in mountain areas; to increase awareness and knowledge of mountain ecosystems, their dynamics and functioning, and their overriding importance in providing a number of crucial goods and services essential to the well-being of both rural and urban, highland and lowland people, in particular water supply, food security; and to promote and defend the cultural heritage of mountain communities and societies; 3. Encourages States and relevant United Nations funds and programmes, specialized agencies, non-governmental organizations and the private sector to support local, national and international programmes and projects for the International Year of Mountains, inter alia, through voluntary financial contributions; 4. Requests the Secretary-General to submit to the General Assembly at its fifty-seventh session an interim report on the activities of the International Year of Mountains and to report to the Assembly at its fifty-eighth session on the outcome of the Year and the further implementation of efforts to achieve sustainable mountain development, taking into account any relevant decisions adopted during the ten-year review of the implementation of the outcome of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in 2002. 87th plenary meeting 20 December 2000 2