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The
fifth session of the Conference of the Parties (COP) for the Convention to
Combat Desertification Geneva, Switzerland, 1-12 October 2001 |
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President Zambiin Batjargal, on behalf of the members of the COP bureau, also expressed condolences and sympathy to the representatives of the US for the tragic events of September 11th, and to the Swiss authorities for the tragic event that occurred in Zug on September 27th. In his opening statement, he said that the Convention had become one of the major international instruments dealing not only with land degradation, but with the issue of sustainable development on the whole. He also said that areas affected by the negative impacts of drought and desertification serve as indicators of poverty and they are the core linkages between environmental issues that include climate change, biodiversity and other relevant environmental multilateral agreements. COP-4 President said that there is a strong need for enhanced cooperation in supporting the efforts of the affected developing countries that are implementing the Convention and that partnerships are the keys for the successful implementation of the Convention. He also highlighted the positive development of land degradation of possibly becoming a new Global Environment Facility (GEF) focal area. Before concluding, Cop-4 President Batjargal wished the next COP President the best of luck and urged him to work even closer with the Secretariat
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Rogatien Biaou,
Benin, expressed concerns related to procedural issues |
President Basset thanked delegates and his colleagues from the Western European and Others Group (WEOG) for entrusting him as President, and thanked the outgoing COP-4 President for his work. While noting that the world has changed after 11 September, now having to deal with new security issues, he drew attention to the fact that the problem of desertification continues to affect tens of millions of people around the world. He drew attention to the high-level segment to take place during the second week of the meeting, calling for an exciting and dynamic policy-level discussion. He described this COP as a community representing many interests, capable of finding solutions in the interest of all. He said there are no quick solutions in the area of desertification |
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Belgium,
on behalf of the EU, called attention to item 7(g) of the
provisional agenda on review of the implementation of the
Convention and its institutional arrangements. He said
consideration of conclusions or recommendations by the CST in this
context had been dropped from the agenda, and suggested it be
reinserted. Delegates then adopted the agenda, as amended |
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Franklin
Moore, head of the US delegation,
proposed that all legal issues planned for the second week be
dealt with during the first week, as the legal experts were likely
leave at the end of the first week.
Plenary agreed that the meeting of the legal experts would take
place on Wednesday, 3 October, in order to ensure translation
facilities were available |
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The
Global Mechanism is expected to present its biennial report during
this session of the COP |
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 View of Mont Blanc from the Palais des Nations
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| © 2001, Earth Negotiations Bulletin. All rights reserved. |
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