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Closing Plenary ended at approximately 2:30
am on Saturday morning
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Photos
and RealAudio for Friday, 26 November
Delegates
adopt Recife Initiative
After
a brief morning Plenary, which considered composition of the ad
hoc panels on traditional knowledge and early warning systems,
delegates held informal consultations throughout the day to continue
consideration of the budget, mechanisms to review implementation,
and NGO activities in the official programme under the COP. Plenary
was then suspended until 11:20 pm when delegates resumed their
consideration of draft decisions on outstanding issues including
the budget, procedures for the review of implementation, and arbitration
and compliance. Plenary again adjourned await completion of informal
consultation on the consideration of reports on CCD implementation
and of additional procedures or institutional mechanisms to assist
the COP in regular review of the Convention. Delegates reconvened
and adopted remaining decisions. COP-3 Vice-President Victor Louro
gaveled the meeting to a close at approximately 2:10am on Saturday,
27 November.
The COP adopted Recife initiative, which calls for formulating
a declaration of commitments at COP-4 to focus on a number of
specific thematic and sectoral areas over an agreed period of
time. It also reiterates the need to adopt measures to eradicate
poverty; reaffirms the need to mobilize financial resources and
promote the transfer of technology and capacity building for combating
desertification; stresses the need to integrate CCD implementation
into mainstream national development strategies of affected countries;
and emphasizes the importance of carrying out further work on
benchmarks and indicators and providing expertise to support CCD
implementation at national, subregional and regional levels.
Click here to listen to excerpts
from a joint EU and G-77/ China press conference
Listen to closing remarks from
CCD Executive Secretary Diallo who also read a message from COP-3
President José
Sarney Filho
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CCD Executive Secretary Hama Arba
Diallo with COP-3 Vice-president Victor
Louro
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Diallo and Louro discuss
final draft decisions with the Secretariat
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Germany conveys a from the Mayor
of Bonn, which welcomes delegates to Bonn for COP-4.
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Mauritania, for G-77/China, inquired if, in the
absence of an offer to host the COP, it would be held under the
seat of the Secretariat in Bonn and noted the costs it will entail.
In her closing remarks, Guyana (left), on behalf
of the G-77/China, reminded delegates that it is the plight and
expectations of the billion people affected by drought and desertification
that is at the center of the convention.
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Finland, on behalf of the EU, noted
that the EU member states are now more aware that the fight against
desertification must be intensified, though it was not yet part
of mainstream developments strategies as it should be. He welcomed
the Recife Initiative.
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Brazil thanks the COP for the
expression of thanks as presented in a draft decision thanking the
government of Brazil
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Iran, on behalf of the
Asian Group, called upon donors to support affected regions with technical,
technological and financial resources, and brought to the attention
of delegates that two letters have been presented to Secretariat by
Asian members regarding the participation of Asian NGOs. |
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South Africa, on behalf of the
Valdivia Group comprising Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Chile, New
Zealand, and South Africa and Uruguay,, noted that the group was
established to learn about each other's experiences with combating
desertification and mitigating drought. He also welcomed the Recife
Initiative as an important contribution to implementing the CCD.
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Peru, on behalf of the
Latin American and Caribbean countries highlighted the need to make
tangible commitments and to overcome single country or group decisions.
He said his region looks forward to its sixth regional meeting, which
will convene in El Salvador, and to the success of COP-4. s |
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Romania noted the Central and East European region's
gratitude for the decision regarding the additional regional implementation
annex.
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Benin, on behalf of the African
Group, reminded all that Africa was behind the initiative leading
to the drafting, adoption and ratification of the Convention and
continue to show their political commitment making this a priority.
He said the Recife Initiative follows on the initiative of Rio,
which has shown us the path to follow, and represents a milestone
in the implementation of the Convention.
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An NGO representative welcomed the two dialogues
held with Parties stating that these reflected the goodwill of all
Parties. He hoped this would be reflected in the qualitative and
quantitative participation of NGOs at future meetings. He further
welcomed the efforts of African countries to develop national action
programmes and expressed the need that these efforts be supported
by Parties in future
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Executive Secretary Diallo congratulated the representatives
of all Parties for the necessary compromises they had achieved.
He pledged to make the most out of the options that the COP's decisions
provide, said he will remain as long as all are satisfied that there
is something to be gained, and promised to strive toward providing
more efficient services to the Parties and not to slow down.
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| Message from COP-3
President José Sarney Filho Diallo delivered a message from
COP-3 President Sarney Filho who expressed encouragement about the
agreed on Recife Initiative, which he said: allows for the adoption
at COP-4 a declaration to strengthen the implementation of the convention;
highlights the need for indicators of the effectiveness of efforts
to combat desertification; and helps raise the same interest to desertification
as given to the other Rio conventions. Filho welcomed the African
country reports, which he said will be very useful to countries submitting
reports at the next COP. He also cited agreements on EWS and traditional
knowledge, and the participation of NGOs as successful outcomes of
COP-3. |
Joint Press
Conference with the EU and the G-77/China
The European
Union and the G-77/China held a press conference to brief reporters
on the status of negotiations on the budget and the Recife Initiative.
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.David Johansson,
EU, and Allison Drayton, G-77/China
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An empty Plenary
hall while informal consultation on the budget were held behind
closed doors.
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Delegates leaving the final
meeting of the Africa group |
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Jill Hanna, European Commission,
and Allison Drayton,Guyana and Chair of the G-77/China
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NGOs wait for final decisions |
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Delegates from St. Lucia, Brazil
and Jamaica before the Closing Plenary reconvenes
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NGOs demand OECD countries to fund for NAPs
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Brazilian police outside the Conference
Center |
 Linkages
desertification page
UNCLAD
Secretariat website
(with official
documents)
Introduction
to the CCD
ENB
coverage of the CCD COP-2
ENB
Archives: volume 4 (desertification)
Desertification
links
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Final Summary
Monday, 29 November
html
pdf
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txt
BNT (version française)
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CCD
COP-3 Archives
Use
these pull-down menus to access previous Multimedia coverage
(updates, photos and RealAudio) and ENB dailies from COP-3,
in all 3 file formats:
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*
To view the pdf files, you will need the free Adobe Acrobat Reader:
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