On Wednesday, 16 February 2011, CST Chair Klaus Kellner opened the Second Special Session of the Committee on Science and Technology (CST S-2) and noted that the three-day session would discuss, inter alia: progress made on studies and activities requested by previous Conferences of the Parties (COPs); the establishment of a knowledge management system; the strengthening of national, regional and global networks of experts; the refinement of impact indicators; and ways to improve the organization of the 2nd Scientific Conference. He noted that meetings of the Regional Implementation Annexes’ science and technology correspondents would take place prior to the CST session each morning and a contact group would convene on Wednesday and Thursday evening. Hassane Moussa (Niger) was selected to chair this contact group.

In the opening addresses, Luc Gnacadja, UNCCD Executive Secretary, highlighted the need to improve the measurability of the impact indicators adopted at COP 9. He stressed that for the first time, at the end of 2011, there will be a tool to support national monitoring system for reporting in 2012, laying the ground for establishing desertification baseline and trends.  Jurgen Nimptsch, Mayor, City of Bonn, stressed that cities are drivers and victims of land degradation, and called for all cities in the world to take up the challenges to combat desertification.

During the morning, CST S-2 delegates discussed the assessment of the organization of the 1st Scientific Conference, and made recommendations for the organization of the 2nd Scientific Conference. CST Chair Kellner explained that only one institution/consortium had submitted a proposal to organize the 2nd Scientific Conference. He said the Bureau had reviewed the proposal and raised some concerns, which had been addressed in a revised proposal, but the CST has not yet taken a final decision to name the organizing body. During the afternoon, Barron Orr, University of Arizona, presented on a White Paper titled “Scientific review of the UNCCD provisionally accepted set of impact indicators to measure the implementation of strategic objectives 1, 2 and 3 of the Strategy.”