The Global Observation Research Initiative in Alpine Environments (GLORIA) has been founded in 2001, aiming at establishing a world-wide long-term monitoring network for mountain biodiversity in the context of climate change. High mountain regions are populated by cold-adapted plant species and are distributed over all climate zones on Earth. GLORIA’s monitoring sites were setup in summit areas along the elevation gradient from the treeline to the highest zone where vascular plants occur. This design, applied to sites distributed over the world’s major mountain ranges, allows to measure the effects of climate warming along the fundamental climate gradients: in latitude, longitude and elevation. After data have been collected at intervals of 5-10 years in ca. 130 mountain regions on all populated continents, we are now preparing for the first global synthesis. A main challenge is to compile data from over 100 different partner groups and institutions, to evaluate and format the data for a comparative analysis. This presentation will show the current state of the network and the different steps of the data collection procedure including data sharing and handling of data ownership.