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SUMMARY OF THE SECOND SESSION OF THE INC FOR THE ELABORATION OF AN INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION TO COMBAT DESERTIFICATION: 13-24 SEPTEMBER 1993

The second session 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 African (INCD) met in Geneva from 13-24 September 1993. The INCD has the mandate to produce the international Convention by June 1994.

At this session, the Committee had the following tasks: determining the programme of work, including the mandate of the working groups; consideration of the compilation text of the Convention prepared by the Secretariat; and agreeing on the future programme of work of the Committee, including the elaboration of regional instruments for Africa, Asia and Latin America to supplement the Convention.

By the conclusion of the two-week session, the two working groups had made faster progress than had been anticipated and completed their discussion of the Secretariat's compilation text, identifying areas of convergence and divergence. They also authorized the Secretariat to prepare a consolidated draft text of the Convention for consideration at the next session of the Committee, to be held from 17-28 January 1994 in New York. However, as in Nairobi, the most difficult issue to resolve was the future work of the Committee, specifically the negotiation of regional instruments.