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SUMMARY OF THE THIRD SESSION OF THE INC FOR THE ELABORATION OF AN INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION TO COMBAT DESERTIFICATION: 17-28 JANUARY 1994

The third session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee for the elaboration of an international convention to combat desertification in those countries experiencing serious drought and/or desertification, particularly in Africa (INCD) met in New York from 17-28 January 1994. The UN General Assembly established the INCD in 1992 to negotiate the international convention by June 1994.

At this session, the two working groups focused their attention on the draft negotiating text of the Convention prepared by the Secretariat and contained in document A/AC.241/15. By the conclusion of the two-week session, the working groups were able to complete at least one and sometimes two readings of each draft article. Although numerous brackets remain in the text, a great deal of progress has been made. The Convention has taken shape and the areas of convergence and divergence have been clearly identified. The INCD also began to discuss the regional instrument for Africa for the first time. After an initial discussion of the nature of this instrument and its relationship to the Convention as a whole, delegates requested the Secretariat to prepare a draft text for consideration at the next session of the Committee, which will be held from 21-31 March 1994 in Geneva.