ENB @ UNCCD COP-7 October 17-28 2005, Nairobi, Kenya

7th Session of the Conference of the Parties
to the United Nations Convention
to Combat Desertification

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Highlights for Saturday, 29 October 2005

COP-7 President Stephen Kalonzo Musyoka reconvened the Plenary at 9:00 am and adopted the remaining decisions tabled in Plenary including the Report of COP-7. UNCCD Executive Secretary Hama Arba Diallo made some closing remarks, thanking participants for their contribution to the process. The G-77/CHINA expressed their dissatisfaction with some of the outcomes of COP-7, and cautioned against the serious global social and economic consequences that may result from not effectively addressing desertification. The African Group appealed for international cooperation and actions on the ground for UNCCD implementation. The EU highlighted the outcomes of the meeting, and called upon parties for follow-up actions.

In his closing remarks, President Musyoka thanked everyone, and called for further implementation of the Convention. He gaveled the meeting to close at 10:45 am Saturday, 29 October.

Above photo L-R: COP-7 President Stephen Kalonzo Musyoka, Nikhil Seth, UN Secretariat and Radhika Padayachi (UNCCD) (back)

PLENARY:

Breaking news Time Line:

8:00 am (Eastern African time)

Participants to the contact group on the report of the Joint Inspection Unit (JIU) has reached consensus on the draft decision, while the contact groups on programme and budget and on the regional coordination units (RCU) are still considering draft decisions. The draft decision on the JIU report will be considered when the Plenary resumes its session. Plenary is expected to resume at 9:00 AM, Saturday, 29 October 2005 (Eastern African Time).

Above photo: Delegates taking naps wherever they can while waiting for the Plenary to reconvene.

As of 1:30 am (Eastern African time)

COP-7 President Stephen Kalonzo Musyoka reconvened the Plenary and the Committee of the Whole (COW) at 11:50 pm to adopt COP and COW decisions. President Musyoka presented the Report on the Sixth Round Table of Members of Parliament which was adopted with few corrections and amendments. COW Chair Riccardo Valentini ( Italy ), introduced the report of the COW and tabled some decisions for adoption. The COP and the COW managed to adopt some decisions but had to suspend Plenary to allow for further informal consultations on the programme and budget, the regional coordination units, and the report of the Joint Inspection Unit. Plenary is expected to resume at 3:00 AM, Saturday, 29 October 2005 (Eastern African Time).

Above photo L-R: COW Chair Riccardo Valentini ( Italy ); UNCCD Executive Secretary Hama Arba Diallo; COP-7 President Stephen Kalonzo Musyoka (Kenya) and Nikhil Seth, UN Secretariat.

As of 10:30pm (Eastern African time)

Plenary was suspended to allow for informal consultations on the programme and budget, the regional coordination units, and the report of the Joint Inspection Unit. The Committee of the Whole has not been able to convene for the whole day due to the same reason. Plenary is expected to resume at 12:00 am, Saturday, 29 October 2005 (Eastern African Time).

Left photo: View of the contact group on programme and budget in recess for informal consultations.



The plenary met in the morning to consider: report of the Committee on Science and Technology; review of the implementation of the Convention; the programme of work for the fifth session of the Committee for the Review of the implementation of the Convention (CRIC-5); and inclusion of an additional agenda item for the selection of an Executive Secretary. The Committee of the Whole (COW) met to consider draft decisions. Contact groups continued discussions on: the programme and budget; the regional coordination units (RCUs) and the report of the Joint Inspection Unit (JIU). Above photo L-R: COP-7 Vice-President Khaled Al-Shara’a (Syria) opened the morning plenary with Nikhil Seth, UN Secretariat.



APPOINTMENT OF A RAPPORTEUR: Uladzimir Sauchanka (Belarus) was nominated and elected the Rapporteur of the COP-7 by acclamation.	REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY: CST Chair Viorel Blujdea (Romania) presented the report of the seventh session of the CST, containing eight draft decisions for adoption by the COP.	Regarding the decision on programme of work of the CST, the WORLD METEOROLOGICAL ORGANIZATION (WMO) proposed amendment highlighting its offer to organize and find the necessary funding for an international workshop on climate and degradation. The decision was adopted with this and other minor amendments. Above photo: Robert Stefanski (WMO)



The decision on improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the CST was adopted with compromise text, proposed by ARGENTINA, on behalf of the G-77/CHINA, and MOROCCO, which invites the CST Bureau to establish a need for a specific UNCCD Fellowship Programme taking account of national capacity self assessment reports and existing fellowship programmes and present its findings to COP-8. Above photos L-R: Mohamed Badraoui (Morocco) and Homero Bibiloni (Argentina)



REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE FOR THE REVIW OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CONVENTION: CRIC Chair Mohamed Mahmoud Ould El Ghaouth (Mauritania) presented the report of the fourth session of the CRIC.	CANADA , speaking on behalf of Australia , Norway , Japan , Iceland , Switzerland , and the US , expressed their frustration in tabling an additional item on the agenda for selecting an Executive Secretary of the CCD. He informed the Plenary that in the interest of all parties, it is withdrawing the proposal, but would like their views to be reflected in the final report. Above photo: Charles Haines (Canada)	Cherryl Gordon, (Jamaica) speaking on behalf of G-77/CHINA, thanked CANADA for its retraction of the proposal.