CHINA 2017 - In 2017 the Conference of the Parties (COP) was held in China. China is one of the biggest users of coal, oil, diesel and petroleum fossil fuels. It is the burning of these fuels that creates greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide, the accumulation of which are causing global warming that is changing our climate to makes deserts of land that was previously arable.

The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in Those Countries Experiencing Serious Drought and/or Desertification, Particularly in Africa (UNCCD) is a Convention to combat soil degradation that makes deserts of previously fertile land. The aim being to mitigate the effects of drought through national action programs that incorporate long-term strategies supported by international cooperation and partnership arrangements.

This Convention forum is the only convention stemming from a direct recommendation of the Rio Conference's Agenda 21. It was adopted in Paris, France on 17 June 1994 and entered into force in December 1996.

It is the only internationally legally binding framework set up to address the problem of desertification. The Convention is based on the principles of participation, partnership and decentralization - the backbone of Good Governance and Sustainable Development. It has 197 parties, making it near universal in reach.

To help publicise the Convention, 2006 was declared "International Year of Deserts and Desertification" but debates have ensued regarding how effective the International Year was in practice.

197 PARTIES

The Convention’s 197 parties work together to improve the living conditions for people in drylands, to maintain and restore land and soil productivity, and to mitigate the effects of drought. The UNCCD is particularly committed to a bottom-up approach, encouraging the participation of local people in combating desertification and land degradation. The UNCCD secretariat facilitates cooperation between developed and developing countries, particularly around knowledge and technology transfer for sustainable land management.

As the dynamics of land, climate and biodiversity are intimately connected, the UNCCD collaborates closely with the other two Rio Conventions; the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), to meet these complex challenges with an integrated approach and the best possible use of natural resources.

FOOD AID - Desertification gives rise to mass human migration as climate change causes soil degradation, creating refugees who will need feeding as a result of the fossil fuel excesses of the developed world.

THE REGIONS

Five world regions – Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), Northern Mediterranean, Central and Eastern Europe - have the important job of deciding how to implement the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD). The Convention Text includes five annexes, which each concern one of these world regions.

The implementation of the UNCCD is organized around these five regional implementation annexes. The annexes specify how the Convention will be implemented for each region and set the focus and content of regional and subregional action programmes. These action programmes provide a framework for regional coordination and collaboration. Though the country Parties of the regions define together how the UNCCD will be implemented, most action takes place at the national level.

16 JUNE 2019 - “Desertification, land degradation and drought are major threats affecting millions of people worldwide,” said the UN chief, “particularly women and children.” Mr. Guterres said that it is time to “urgently” change such trends, adding that protecting and restoring land can “reduce forced migration, improve food security and spur economic growth”, as well as helping to address the “global climate emergency”.

DESERTIFICATION COP HISTORY

SOIL EROSION - The more land that we lose for to grow crops the greater the food security issue. The more ice that melts from global warming, the more our sea level rises, again, reducing land area. World politics is not working or we would not have these problems. We need to change policies urgently to make politics work for the planet. If that means electing new representatives and executive officers free from conflicts of interest, who understand the urgency of sustainable agriculture,  low carbon houses, renewable energy and transport, the electorate should give consideration to voting out the old and voting in new blood for change. 

CLIMATE CHANGE COP HISTORY

COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY (CST)

The UN Convention to Combat Desertification has established a Committee on Science and Technology (CST). The CST was established under Article 24 of the Convention as a subsidiary body of the COP, and its mandate and terms of reference were defined and adopted during the first session of the Conference of the Parties in 1997. It is composed of government representatives competent in the fields of expertise relevant to combating desertification and mitigating the effects of drought. The committee identifies priorities for research, and recommends ways of strengthening cooperation among researchers. It is multi-disciplinary and open to the participation of all Parties. It meets in conjunction with the ordinary sessions of the COP.

The CST collects, analyses and reviews relevant data. It also promotes cooperation in the field of combating desertification and mitigating the effects of drought through appropriate sub-regional, regional and national institutions, and in particular by its activities in research and development, which contribute to increased knowledge of the processes leading to desertification and drought as well as their impact.

The Bureau of the CST is composed of the Chairperson and the four Vice Chairpersons. The chairman is elected by the Conference of the Parties at each of its sessions with due regard to ensure geographical distribution and adequate representation of affected Country Parties, particularly those in Africa, who shall not serve for more than two consecutive terms. The Bureau of the CST is responsible for the follow-up of the work of the Committee between sessions of the COP and may benefit from assistance of ad hoc panels established by the COP.

The CST also contributes to distinguishing causal factors, both natural and human, with a view to combating desertification and achieving improved productivity as well as the sustainable use and management of resources.

Under the authority of the CST, a Group of Experts was established by the COP with a specific work programme, to assist in improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the CST. This Group of Experts working under the authority of the CST, provides advice on the areas of drought and desertification. 

GROUP OF EXPERTS (GoE)

The Group of Experts plays an important institutional role, providing the CST with information on the current knowledge, the extent and the impact, the possible scenarios and the policy implications on various themes assigned in its work programme. The results of the work performed by the GoE are widely recognized and include dissemination of its results on ongoing activities (benchmarks and indicators, traditional knowledge, early warning systems).

The Group of Experts develops and makes available to all interested people information on appropriate mechanisms for scientific and technological cooperation and articulates research projects, which promote awareness about desertification and drought between countries and stakeholders at the international, regional and national level.

The Group of Experts seeks to build on and use existing work and evidence to produce pertinent synthesis and outputs for the use of the Parties to the Convention and for the broader dissemination to the scientific community. The programme of work and its mandate is pluri-annual in nature, for a maximum of four years.

BIODIVERSITY COP HISTORY

UNCCD CONTACTS

Postal Address

UNITED NATIONS
Convention to Combat Desertification
UNCCD Secretariat
P.O. Box 260129
D-53153 Bonn, Germany

Switchboard

Tel: +49-228 / 815-2800
Fax: +49-228 / 815-2898/99
Email: secretariat@unccd.int

Office

UNCCD
Platz der Vereinten Nationen 1
D-53113 Bonn, Germany
CSO Contact

Marcos Montoiro
NGO and Civil Society Liaison Officer
FCMI - Facilitation, Capacity Building and Monitoring of Implementation unit
United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification Secretariat

e-mail : CSO@unccd.int

T +49-228 / 815-2806
F +49-228 / 815-2898/99

CST contact

Co-ordinator STI Unit
T +49-228 / 815-2834
F +49-228 / 815-2898/99
E kmst@unccd.int

Press Office

T +49-228 / 815-2820
F +49-228 / 815-2898/99
E press@unccd.int

Librarian

Ms Katya Arapnakova
T +49-228 / 815-2864
F +49-228 / 815-2898/99
E library@unccd.int

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LINKS & REFERENCE

https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/post2015/transformingourworld

https://www.unccd.int/

https://www.unccd.int/convention/about-convention

https://www.un.org/

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