Chapters
10, 11, 12 and 13 of Agenda 21
address
desertificationIn
1992, the UN General Assembly, as requested by the United Nations Conference on
Environment and Development (UNCED), adopted resolution 47/188 calling for the
establishment of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee for the elaboration
of an international convention to combat desertification in those countries experiencing
serious drought and/or desertification, particularly in Africa (INCD). The INCD
met five times between May 1993 and June 1994, during which delegates drafted
the Convention and four regional Annexes for Africa, Asia, Latin America and the
Caribbean, and the Northern Mediterranean
The Convention to Combat Desertification was adopted on 17 June 1994, along with
resolutions recommending urgent action for Africa and interim arrangements for
the period between adoption of the CCD and its entry into force.
1st
Conference of the Parties (CoP)1997
Considering the
scepticism expressed in Rio at the idea of a global desertification convention,
the progress made thus far bodes well for the future. One hundred thirteen countries
have ratified the Convention and more are expected. A large number of developing
countries participated in the INCD process. New ground has been broken in NGO
participation in intergovernmental negotiations.
All of these achievements demonstrate a political will that was lacking two decades
ago following the adoption of the 1977 Plan of Action to Combat Desertification.
The CCD is a major accomplishment for Africa and for the world, but the real success
will be determined by whether it changes the lives of those living in the drylands.
Convention
to Combat Desertification - text
-
The
objective of this Convention is to Combat Desertification and mitigate the effects
of drought in countries experiencing serious drought and/or desertification, particularly
in Africa, through effective action at all levels, supported by international
cooperation and partnership arrangements, in the framework of an integrated approach
which is consistent with Agenda 21, with a view to contributing to the achievement
of sustainable development in affected areas.
-
Achieving
this objective will involve long-term integrated strategies that focus simultaneously,
in affected areas, on improved productivity of land, and the rehabilitation, conservation
and sustainable management of land and water resources, leading to improved living
conditions, in particular at the community level.
Article
4 General obligations
-
The
Parties shall implement their obligations under this Convention, individually
or jointly, either through existing or prospective bilateral and multilateral
arrangements or a combination thereof, as appropriate, emphasizing the need to
coordinate efforts and develop a coherent long-term strategy at all levels.
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In
pursuing the objective of this Convention, the Parties shall:
-
adopt
an integrated approach addressing the physical, biological and socio- economic
aspects of the processes of desertification and drought;
-
give
due attention, within the relevant international and regional bodies, to the situation
of affected developing country Parties with regard to international trade, marketing
arrangements and debt with a view to establishing an enabling international economic
environment conducive to the promotion of sustainable development;
-
integrate
strategies for poverty eradication into efforts to combat desertification and
mitigate the effects of drought;
-
promote
cooperation among affected country Parties in the fields of environmental protection
and the conservation of land and water resources, as they relate to desertification
and drought;
-
strengthen
subregional, regional and international cooperation;
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co-operate
within relevant intergovernmental organizations;
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determine
institutional mechanisms, if appropriate, keeping in mind the need to avoid duplication;
and
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promote
the use of existing bilateral and multilateral financial mechanisms and arrangements
that mobilize and channel substantial financial resources to affected developing
country Parties in combating desertification and mitigating the effects of drought.
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Affected
developing country Parties are eligible for assistance in the implementation of
the Convention.
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