UNCCD COP discusses mid-term evaluation of the strategy on Sustainable Land Management

Changwon, Republic of Korea, October 19, 2011 - Delegates at the United Nations Conference of Parties to Combat Land Degradation and Desertification yesterday were asked to treat just another key item of their already plenty agenda: Half a day on October 19 was devoted to respond to a proposed UNCCD vision on how to continue global action on Land Degradation and Desertification for the years ahead. This strategy aims at forging a global partnership to reverse and prevent desertification/land degradation and to mitigate the effects of drought in affected areas in order to support poverty reduction and environmental sustainability. It should provide a global framework to support the development and implementation of national and regional policies, programmes and measures to prevent, control and reverse desertification/land degradation and mitigate the effects of drought through scientific and technological excellence, raising public awareness, standard setting, advocacy and resource mobilization, thereby contributing to poverty reduction.

Led by Committee for the Review of the Implementation of the Convention (CRIC 10) Chair Chencho Norbu with moderator Matt Walpole, UNEP-WCMC, the session's three panelists were invited to offer reflections on progress in realizing the goals of the Convention and proposals for the way forward.

Gustavo Fonseca, head of the Natural Resources team of the GEF, as one of the panelists (in his personal capacity), reviewed challenges related to resource mobilization, noting that financing decisions require needs assessments, the identification of existing flows and gaps and estimates of the overall need. Among other actions, he suggested projecting positive messages and success stories, demonstrating that SLM works and sharing that drylands are valuable to national economies. Gustavo Fonseca said: "SLM is perhaps the development theme that most requires synergistic and integrated approaches to natural resources management. Therefore we need to reinforce the notion that SLM needs to be promoted because it enables land users to maximize the economic and social benefits from the land while maintaining or enhancing its ecological support functions."

He also used this opportunity to consider eliminating subsidies. He stressed the need to deliver tangible results from SLM, said there are mutual and interconnected responsibilities among recipients and donors in this regard, and highlighted the relevance of the principles of the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness.

The overall relevance, effectiveness, impact, efficiency and sustainability of the strategy will be evaluated by assessing how it has achieved the following aspects of its aim and mission:

(a) Enhancing Parties' capacities to integrate objectives of the Convention into regional, subregional and national development policies, plans and strategies;

(b) Engaging the international community in setting targets and defining indicators for progress;

(c) Making the Convention a centre of excellence in scientific and technical knowledge and best practices;

(d) Enhancing synergies between combating desertification and land degradation, climate change mitigation and adaptation, and biodiversity conservation;

(e) Contributing to the fulfilment of the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation and to the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals;

(f) Improving political will and commitment to the Convention;

(g) Raising awareness of desertification, land degradation and drought (DLDD) and the profile of the Convention;

(h) Improving the engagement and commitment of the Parties to the Convention;

(i) Ensuring better targeting of existing resources and mobilizing new resources for the implementation of the Convention;

(j) Building the capacities of affected developing country Parties to access financial resources, especially the Global Environment Facility (GEF), for funding activities to combat DLDD;

(k) Improving resourcing for the implementation of action programmes and other activities to combat desertification and land degradation, especially through the GEF. 

 

The full text of the draft document can be found here: http://www.unccd.int/cop/officialdocs/cric10/pdf/17eng.pdf