EARTH NEGOTIATIONS BULLETIN PUBLISHED BY THE INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT (IISD) WRITTEN AND EDITED BY: Elisabeth Corell. Wagaki Mwangi Lynn Wagner Managing Editor Langston James Goree VI "Kimo" Vol. 4 No. 87 Wednesday, 4 September 1996 INCD-9 3-13 SEPTEMBER 1996 The ninth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Desertification (INCD), will meet from 3-13 September in New York. During the nearly two-week session, delegates will address arrangements regarding the Global Mechanism for finance, the designation of a Permanent Secretariat, scientific and technical cooperation, rules of procedure, financial rules, communication of information, Urgent Action for Africa, and interim measures in other regions. The opening Plenary on 3 September 1996 was opened by INCD Chair Bo Kjellén (Sweden) at 10:30 am. Delegates heard general statements from several ministers and UN agencies. The afternoon session was devoted to regional group meetings. A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE INCD Desertification affects about one-sixth of the world’s population, 70 percent of all drylands and one-quarter of the total land area in the world. The most obvious impacts of desertification are: poverty; the degradation of 3.3 billion hectares of the total area of rangeland; a decline in soil fertility and soil structure; and the degradation of irrigated cropland. The Convention to Combat Desertification (CCD) was formally adopted on 17 June 1994, and opened for signature at a ceremony in Paris on 14-15 October 1994. The Convention takes an innovative approach in recognizing: the physical, biological and socioeconomic aspects of desertification; the importance of redirecting technology transfer so that it is demand driven; and the involvement of local populations in the development of national action programmes. The core is the national and subregional/regional action programmes, to be developed by national governments in cooperation with donors, local populations and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). To date, the Convention has 115 signatories and has been ratified by 41 countries. It will enter into force 90 days after the 50th ratification. NEGOTIATION OF THE CONVENTION During its 47th session in 1992, the GA, as requested at UNCED in Rio, adopted resolution 47/188 calling for the establishment of the INCD. At the organizational session of the INCD in January 1993, delegates elected Bo Kjellén (Sweden) Chair of the Committee. Its first session was held in Nairobi, Kenya, from 24 May to 3 June 1993. The first week focused on the sharing of technical information and assessments, and the second week dealt with the structure, elements and objectives of the CCD. The second session of the INCD met in Geneva from 13-24 September 1993. The Committee considered the compilation text of the CCD and agreed on the future programme of work, including the elaboration of regional instruments for Africa, Asia and Latin America. The third session of the INCD was held at UN Headquarters in New York from 17-28 January 1994. The two working groups focused on the draft negotiating text of the Convention. The INCD also discussed the regional instrument for Africa. The fourth session of the INCD was held in Geneva from 21-31 March 1994. Negotiations of the draft Convention text continued and delegates also formally considered the Regional Implementation Annex for Africa. The Asian and Latin American regional groups produced their own draft regional implementation annexes. The fifth session of the INCD was held in Paris from 6-17 June 1994. During this session, delegates worked through the remaining bracketed text in the Convention and finalized the four regional implementation annexes for Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, and the Northern Mediterranean. The Convention was adopted on 17 June 1994, along with resolutions recommending Urgent Action for Africa and interim arrangements for the period between adoption of the CCD and its entry into force. POST-AGREEMENT NEGOTIATIONS The sixth INCD session was held in New York from 9-18 January 1995. The Committee reached agreement on the work programme for the interim period and the mandates of the two working groups and plenary. Delegates at the seventh session, which took place in Nairobi from 7-17 August 1995, reviewed the status of ratification and implementation of the Resolution on Urgent Action for Africa and Interim Measures. The Committee discussed and provided input on the structure and elements that should be considered in preparation for COP-1. The eighth session, held from 5-15 February 1996 in Geneva, Switzerland, reviewed the status of ratifications and the implementation of the Resolution on Urgent Action for Africa and Interim Measures. The Committee also discussed and negotiated some of the Secretariat’s texts on the preparations for COP-1. They also requested the Secretariat to prepare new text for negotiation at INCD-9, based on their discussions on the Committee on Science and Technology, communication and information, draft rules of procedure for the COP, programme and budget, draft financial rules, the Global Mechanism and arrangements to house the Permanent Secretariat. Some delegations revisited the question raised at INCD-7 on the need for two-week sessions. INCD HIGHLIGHTS 3 SEPTEMBER 1996 INCD Chair, Bo Kjellén (Sweden), opened the ninth session of the INCD and introduced the agenda and organization of work, as contained in A/AC.241/53, which was adopted. Nitin Desai, Under-Secretary General for Policy Coordination and Sustainable Development (DPCSD), noted that CCD is one of the first conventions to encompass the integrated approach of Agenda 21. CCD’s experiences with this approach will provide many lessons. He noted the prospect of 50 ratifications by the fifth anniversary of UNCED. Kjellén said 41 ratifications have been received, thus, the goal to have COP-1 by September 1997 is within reach. He hoped that as happened at the Forestry meeting in June this year, the link between the CCD and energy, the CCD, food security and poverty alleviation, and the CCD and water resources will be recognized during the World Solar and Food Summits (later this year) and the 1997 Special Session of the General Assembly, respectively. Kjellén noted that although the Global Mechanism (GM) is the most difficult and complicated issue, discussions at the last CSD reflected an openness to new thinking for innovative funding, which illustrates that the idea of a GM is timely. Granted the progress made on the Committee on Science and Technology (CST), he said it is possible to reach complete agreement on the subject, but the discussions on the location of the Permanent Secretariat may be more difficult. During this session, two panels are planned on the role of women in the Convention and the participatory approach. MONGOLIA said their Parliament ratified the CCD in August. The country’s new democratic government is willing to take serious steps to ensure the maintenance of an ecological balance. HONDURAS stated that the convention is promising, but is a package of dreams. He appealed to the rich countries and aid institutions to help countries with deserts as well as countries that do not have deserts now. His country supports CCD and hopes to ratify it this year. MEXICO noted that his was the first country to sign and ratify CCD. Combatting desertification is a high priority in his country. He noted the results of a regional meeting, including the establishment of a coordinating unit in the Convention Secretariat at UNEP that will receive financial support from Mexico. He noted the need for new financial resources. CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC (CAR) outlined various initiatives the country has undertaken to combat desertification, including raising awareness among parliamentarians. The CAR has ratified the Convention and the instrument will be deposited during this INCD session. UNEP’s Executive Director Elizabeth Dowdeswell expressed her institution’s interest in hosting the Permanent Secretariat and outlined UNEP’s past activities, history and role that render it suitable. She said UNEP is willing to support the work of the CST and to collaborate with the institution that hosts the GM. UNDP considers CCD as one of the most significant post-Rio frameworks for operationalizing the goals of sustainable development. Availability and access to data on resource mechanisms is critical to implementation. He noted UNDP’s efforts to support the objectives of CCD, including a trust fund to combat desertification and drought. He reconfirmed UNDP’s availability to host the GM. IFAD discussed the role of national action plans and noted the IFAD-sponsored forum on action plans held in June, where participants recognized the possibility of accelerating learning programmes and the desirability of including rural area development on the CST. The GM must go beyond a clearinghouse role and should harness resources not currently available for the drylands. IFAD is willing to host the GM and could provide a detailed proposal at INCD- 10. CANADA outlined the country’s four priority areas for development assistance, including the environment. The Mayor of Montreal, the Canadian city that wishes to host the Permanent Secretariat, will make a presentation on its candidacy on Thursday, 5 September. Ireland, on behalf of the EUROPEAN UNION (EU), emphasized the urgent need to determine the functions of the GM because this determines how COP-1 selects the institution to house the GM. CHAD said his country has ratified the Convention and the instrument will be deposited before the end of INCD- 9. He also outlined steps taken towards the implementation of the CCD, including the setting up of a high-level committee. Executive Secretary of the Committee, Hama Arba Diallo, thanked participants for their presence, which testifies to the importance their countries accord to CCD issues. He noted the Italian government’s offer to host COP-1. He also highlighted activities that have been carried out recently, including efforts in African countries and regional meetings. ITALY confirmed its offer to have Rome host COP-1. IN THE CORRIDORS Although decisions on the location and hosting of the Permanent Secretariat may not be finalized at this session, the bargaining process has begun. The decisions on the location and host have been linked together by some delegates. The Canadian offer to host the Secretariat in Montreal is coupled with UNEP’s offer for administrative support, while the German offer for Bonn is connected to similar support offered by the WMO. The Spanish offer to host the Secretariat in Murcia does not seem to be linked to any offer for administrative support. Many regret that the offers for permanent location of the Secretariat do not include any affected developing countries, such as Kenya and South Africa. Some had hoped offers would be forthcoming from other developed affected countries, such as Australia. THINGS TO LOOK FOR TODAY WORKING GROUP I: The Working Group is expected to meet at noon in Conference Room 1 to begin consideration of the Global Mechanism. An afternoon meeting is also expected. WORKING GROUP II: The Working Group is expected to meet at noon in Conference Room 2 to begin consideration of the Rules of Procedure. An afternoon meeting is also expected. This issue of the Earth Negotiations Bulletin (c) is written and edited by Elisabeth Corell. , Wagaki Mwangi and Lynn Wagner . The Managing Editor is Langston James "Kimo" Goree VI . French translation by Mongi Gadhoum. The sustaining donors of the Bulletin are the International Institute for Sustainable Development , the Dutch Ministry for Development Cooperation and the Pew Charitable Trusts. General support for the Bulletin during 1996 is provided by the Overseas Development Administration (ODA) of the United Kingdom, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark, the Swedish Ministry of Environment, the Swiss Federal Office of the Environment, the Ministry of the Environment of Iceland, and the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety. Specific funding for coverage of this meeting has been provided by the UNEP Desertification PAC and the US Department of Agriculture. The authors can be contacted at their electronic mail addresses or at tel: +1- 212-644-0204; fax: +1-212-644-0206. IISD can be contacted at 161 Portage Avenue East, 6th Floor, Winnipeg, Manitoba R3B 0Y4, Canada; tel: +1-204-958-7700; fax: +1-204-958-7710. The opinions expressed in Earth Negotiations Bulletin are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of IISD and other funders. 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