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ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA

The Committee quickly adopted the agenda of the organizational session (A/AC.241/1) and then Kjell‚n made a brief statement. He said that the decision by UNCED to adopt Chapter 12 of Agenda 21 and call for the negotiation of a convention to combat desertification is based on a sense of political and economic urgency. It is a joint responsibility everyone shares towards populations that suffer from the daily consequences of desertification. There is very little time and the Committee will be constantly running against the clock. The Committee needs clear objectives and timetables for each session and will also have to use the periods between sessions. He said that he has received support from a number of UN agencies and that he plans on conducting regular meetings with them. Cooperation with the NGO and scientific communities is essential, as they have much expertise and have demonstrated commitment in combatting desertification.