Representatives from 26 countries are due to attend the event in the host of the first-ever Paralympic Winter Games in 1976.

The town, which hosted the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) European Ice Sledge Hockey Championships this month, is a hub of winter sports and is keen to stage more competitions.

The conference, entitled "Para-Athletes Pathway in Winter Sports" is seen as one way of boosting these ambitions.

Other goals are to develop a long-term plan for the future development of winter Para-sports and get more people with impairments involved.

Johan Strid, secretary general of the National Paralympic Committee (NPC) of Sweden, said: “This year marks 40 years since Sweden hosted the first-ever Paralympic Winter Games.

"Now it feels natural that we reconvene here to take the next strategic step for continued global development of Paralympic winter sports.”

Östersund municipality's growth manager, Per Johansson, added: “Events, in sports and other activities, has a great importance for national and regional destination development.

"In Östersund and the region, we have good experience in winter sports area with, for example, biathlon and Alpine areas.

"Creating the conditions for long-term cooperation and successful events also in Para-sports area feels completely obvious.”