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SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC DIMENSIONS

UNSO: The Committee began with a discussion on Tuesday's presentation by Moustapha Soumar‚ of UNSO. Mali mentioned the weaknesses in decentralization. Egypt cited a case study of land management of the great plains in the United States, adding that when drafting the Convention, delegates should take into consideration the need for national land management policies. Saudi Arabia stated that the development of grazing land must take into account the amount of water available. Benin brought up three problems in planning systems: weakness or lack of adequate planning; land tenure; and the non-participation of the populace. Cape Verde mentioned the problem with duplication of development plans. Senegal added that desertification control plans are often determined by donors instead of recipient countries. Turkmenistan, Israel and Kenya mentioned their experiences with projects to combat desertification. Iraq cited a number of problems with desertification in his country since the Gulf War.