You are viewing our old site. See the new one here

go to IISDnet

Fourth Conference of the Parties 
to the Convention to 
Combat Desertification
Bonn, Germany; 11-22 December 2000

 

Highlights from Tuesday, 19 December
 

The Plenary convened all day for the special segment on the implementation of the Convention and heard 38 statements from high-level officials and representatives of UN agencies and specialized bodies. The ad hoc working group on the review of CCD implementation (AHWG) met to consider the Asian regional report, and six country reports. Informal consultations continued on the additional regional implementation annex to the Convention and the informal working group on programme and budget was also convened.




Above photo: H.E. Mr. Abraham Dukere (Guinea) giving his plenary statement where he highlighted the repercussions of the 10-year civil war on Guinea and called for international support because it is the source of many rivers serving the region.
 

Plenary: Special segment on the implementation of the Convention




UNEP Executive Secretary Klaus Töpfer said the CCD is a chance for the North and South to enter a global compact to secure our common future.

*






Mr. Kenneth King of the GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT FACILITY (GEF), elaborated five proposals responding to the November 2000 GEF Council request for a discussion paper for its 2001 meeting on the best options to strengthen GEF.
*

                                                                                                                                                       


Mr. Christian Falkowski of the EUROPEAN COMMISSION called for strengthening of the GM and said additional bodies would only further stretch funds and manpower. He welcomed a fifth CCD annex, but the region should not be allocated financial support at the expense of other Annex countries.

*




Mr. Joachim Tappe (German Parliament) on behalf  of the THIRD ROUND TABLE OF PARLIAMENTARIANS called for a new GEF window for financing CCD implementation.

*

*RealAudio of the Plenary Statements to follow soon




H.E. Ms. Sigrun Møgedal (Norway) called for the empowerment of marginalized peoples and urged developed countries to be accountable for their commitments.



H.E. Mr. Mamadou Lamine Ba (Senegal) called for the establishment of a subsidiary body to review progress CCD implementation.


H.E. Mr. Ali bin Saad Altokhais (Saudi Arabia) saw no justification to exclude the CCD from GEF benefits unless the CCD is of little concern to the international community and should be renamed the convention of the poor.

ad hoc Working Group on Implementation: Regional Report 
The ASIAN REGIONAL REPORT outlined the activities of the thematic programme networks on monitoring and assessment (TPN1) and on agroforestry and soil conservation in arid, semi-arid and sub-humid areas (TPN2) and the conclusions of the third regional meeting of CCD focal points. The conclusions included the need for: consistent partnership agreements with UN agencies and other partners; support to grass­roots organizations, NGOs and community based organizations; better understanding of the features of CCD benchmarks and indi­cators. Delegates then discussed the value of sharing expertise, how regional efforts feed back into the countries, and how the recognition of Central Asia as a new sub-region will affect ongoing work. Donor countries were urged to support the thematic programme networks.

Above photo (L-R): Representative from the Secretariat, Willem van Cotthem (Belgium), Octavio Perez Pardo (Argentina) and a representative from Turkmenistan.



Davlatsho Gulmakhmadou (Tajikistan), outlined the progress of its NAP and said that while NAP implementation had been delayed, measures to combat land degradation, manage soil salinization, and address water erosion have been carried out. 



Tsohio Borjigdhan Adiyasuren (Mongolia), described its 1992 action plan to combat desertification, noting measures to involve stakeholders, advance decentralization and land tenure reform, and realize environmental synergies.
 
ENB Summary of COP-3
ENB Coverage of COP-3
UNCCD Secretariat web site with COP-4 official documents and information for participants
Introduction to the CCD
Linkages desertification page
Other Internet Resources on Desertification

Get RealPlayer 8

Free Download
<< Back to ENB's COP-6 main page <<
>>Version française: BNT<<
© 2000, IISD. All rights reserved.