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Summary and Analysis
IISD Reporting Services (IISD RS) has produced a Summary and Analysis from this meeting. To download our report please click below in the HTML or PDF icons.
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Climate Change Policy & Practice
Second Special Session of the Committee on Science and Technology (CST S-2) of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) and Ninth Session of the Committee for the Review of the Implementation of the Convention (CRIC 9)

16-18 and 21-25 February 2011 | Bonn, Germany
Highlights for Thursday, 17 February 2011
CST-S2/CRIC 9

On Thursday, 17 February, CST S-2 delegates discussed measures to enable the UNCCD to become a global authority on scientific and technical knowledge on desertification, land degradation and mitigation of the effects of drought during the morning. During the afternoon, they considered the implementation of a knowledge-management system. A CST contact group met late into the night, preparing for the final day of the three-day meeting.

National focal points continued their parallel discussions in Regional Implementation Annexes, in preparation for next week’s meeting of the CRIC. A number of side events also convened during the day.
View of the Rhine river in Bonn
The sun reflected off the glass architecture of the World Conference Center in Bonn, Germany, during the second day of CST S-2.
Daily highlights (click on the following links to see our daily web pages)
CST delegates
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Patrick Breard, consultant, presented on the development of a UNCCD knowledge- management system.

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Warapon Waramit, Thailand, for the Asian and Pacific region, suggested that criteria be established for the selection of eForum facilitators, and said that language differences might make it beneficial to have more than one facilitator.

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Olanrewaju Smith, consultant, presented on progress made following a COP 9 decision requesting the CST to assess how to organize scientific advice.

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Lawrence Townley-Smith, CST Rapporteur, and Mary Rowen, United States, confer before the morning plenary.
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(L-R) Valentin Ciubotaru, NGO BIOS (Republic of Moldova), and Khadija Razavi, CENESTA (Iran), spoke on behalf of NGOs.


Side Events
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During an afternoon side event, the Environment Management Group (EMG) presented an update on progress on the report “Global Drylands: A UN system wide response.” The report will include chapters addressing: an introduction to drylands; drylands in the global context; a framework for investments in the drylands; responding to the challenge and costs of inaction; and a proposal for joint action by UN actors. Key messages will be delivered at high-level event on desertification and drought at the UN General Assembly in September, and the report will be presented to UNCCD COP 10 in October 2011. (L-R) Luc Gnacadja, UNCCD Executive Secretary, Hossein Fadaei, Acting Secretary of EMG, Stephen Twomlow, UNEP, and Jessica Smith, UNEP-WCMC.

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DesertNet International and UNU-INWEH sponsored a side event in the evening, during which Richard Thomas (UNU-INWEH, pictured above) and Mariam Akhtar-Schuster (DesertNet International) presented a report on providing inter-disciplinary advice to the UNCCD, based on information gathered through an e.forum. Stephen Twomlow, UNEP, presented on the development of the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) and reviewed opportunities for this body to consider land and desertification issues.

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At an evening side event, Mohamed Bakarr, Senior Environmental Specialist, GEF Secretariat, made a presentation on “Land degradation focal area financing in GEF-5,” and explained that the proposed use of set-aside funds includes US$25 million for UNCCD enabling activities.

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(L-R) Pedro Paez, Chief, Ecuadorian Presidential Commission for a New Regional Financial Architecture and Banco Del Sur, and Christian Mersmann, Managing Director of the Global Mechanism of the UNCCD, signed a Memorandum of Understanding between the two organizations on Thursday, while Riccardo Moro, Coordinator, BRIDGES Project, looked on.

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An evening side event on the African Great Green Wall project, organized by FAO and the Global Mechanism of the UNCCD, attracted a large crowd.
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Related Links
UNCCD resources
*Meetings website
*CST-S2 documents
*CRIC 9 documents
*UNCCD Global Mechanism

IISD RS resources
IISD RS coverage of the Ninth Session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD COP 9), 21 September - 2 October 2009, Buenos Aires, Argentina
*IISD RS coverage of UNCCD CST S-1 and CRIC 7, 3-14 November 2008, Istanbul, Turkey
*IISD RS coverage of UNCCD High-Level Policy Dialogue, 27 May 2008, Bonn, Germany
*IISD RS summary of the First Extraordinary Session of the Conference of the Parties (ESCOP) to the UNCCD, 26 November 2007, UN headquarters, New York, United States of America (HTML - PDF)
*IISD RS coverage of UNCCD COP 8, 3-14 September 2007, Madrid, Spain
*IISD RS coverage of UNCCD CRIC 5, 12-21 March 2007, Buenos Aires, Argentina
*IISD RS coverage of UNCCD COP 7, 17-28 October 2005, Nairobi, Kenya
*IISD RS archive of sustainable development meetings
*Coverage of previous UNCCD COPs, CRIC and other related meetings by IISD-RS
*Land-L - A news and announcement list on land policy issues
*SIDS Policy and Practice - A Knowledgebase on the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States
*Sustainable Development Policy & Practice - A Knowledgebase of International Activities Preparing for the UN Conference on Sustainable Development
*Biodiversity Policy & Practice - A Knowledgebase of UN and Intergovernmental Activities Addressing International Biodiversity Policy
*Climate Change Policy & Practice - A Knowledgebase of UN and Intergovernmental Activities Addressing Global Climate Change Policy
*Linkages Update - Bi-weekly international environment and sustainable development news
*MEA Bulletin - Newsletter on key MEAs and their secretariats
*African Regional Coverage
*Latin America and Caribbean Regional Coverage
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