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SWITZERLAND:

The observer from Switzerland said that the quality of the CSD must be maintained and strengthened. There is a need for a better political platform for the high-level segment. General statements should be banned, the role of the Chair is fundamental, and a final statement should be maintained, even if there is divergence of opinions. He stressed the need to coordinate different sectoral issues, the need for composite sustainable development indicators, and suggested that peer reviews in regional ad hoc groupings may assist the work of the CSD. The desertification negotiations are of particular importance to Switzerland, as this is the first legally-binding convention to be negotiated since Rio. The Convention and the instrument for Africa should be completed in June and should be followed by other regional instruments. The prompt start idea should be examined again when the Convention is further developed. Switzerland does not think that the Convention should be financed by a new window in the GEF as this should be considered only after the restructuring process is complete. Switzerland has supported the INCD by providing a member of the Secretariat, contributing to the voluntary fund, providing free office space to the Secretariat in Geneva and training negotiators.