COP 9 Outcomes in a Nutshell and in Detail

The Report of the Conference of the Parties to the Ninth Session and List of Participants to the COP are now available online, as well as highlights of the COP 9 outcomes presented by Executive Secretary Luc Gnacadja. more..

»  Report of the COP9 Addendum. Part two: Action taken by the COP 9   (eng)   

»  Report of the COP9 Part one: Proceedings   (eng)   

UNCCD Eighth Round Table of Parliamentarians Message to the World Food Summit

The UNCCD’s Eighth Round Table of Members of Parliament has delivered its message on Food Security to the World Food Summit taking place in Rome, Italy more..

Bonn Symposium 2009: Sustainable Development in Times of Crises
Opposition or Opportunity?

Climate change represents together with the current financial, energy and food crises acute signs of long-term mis-development. The Bonn Symposium 2009 (23 – 24 November) calls for a coherent reflection upon the structural causes of the current crises. more..

Running dry? - Climate change in drylands

UNCCD library collection has recently added the publication "Running dry? - Climate change in drylands and how to cope with it" by GTZ. The book provides the first comprehensive overview of the state of research on the complex issues surrounding climate change and drylands. more..

16th of October is the World Food Day:

Message from Luc Gnacadja, Executive Secretary, United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification on the World Food Day (eng)   (de)

Parliamentarians Urge Greater Efforts on Land Degradation

Poverty and climate change are two of the main challenges our planet is facing this century. Challenges that cannot be tackled without addressing food security and desertification issues more..

UNCCD Executive Secretary at the African Session of the 7th World Forum on Sustainable Development

The UNCCD Executive Secretary spoke about "soil, not in the sense of its place in the planet, but as the earth that feeds us" at the 7th World Forum on Sustainable Development is held from 8-13 October in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. more.. (in French)

COP 9 in Buenos Aires will be both Carbon Neutral and Environment neutral, with the proceeds from the carbon offsets earmarked for two local environmental projects in Argentina.
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The secretariat has released two informal documents that provide an overview of the COP 9 structure and organization, and answers to frequently asked questions on the Budget.
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As the Convention entered into a new decade with its 10-year strategic plan and framework (The Strategy), there is a need for affected country parties to align their action programmes with it. Against this backdrop, the guidelines for the alignment process have been prepared.
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The Secretariat of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), the Common Fund for Commodities (CFC) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) have launched the first African Drylands Commodity Atlas.
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Comments sought on Draft UNCCD Water Policy Advocacy Framework

Following the adoption of the 10-year strategic plan and framework to enhance the implementation of the Convention (2008-2018), the Secretariat has been taking initiatives to enhance the role of water resources in sustaining the natural ecosystems and human well-being. We invite your views and comments on our draft water policy advocacy framework. more..

Sustainable land management (SLM) offers the international community strong possibilities for adapting to climate change and reducing carbon emissions. Despite this conclusion by climate change negotiators and the UNCCD stakeholders who participated in the one-day Land Day event held on 6 June 2009 in Bonn, Germany, the potential in soil carbon sequestration through SLM is little explored and underutilized. It is not even under consideration by the negotiators expected to seal the post-Kyoto deal in Copenhagen, Denmark, in December 2009. Read the Report on Land Day, now available online, for an exploration of this issue. more..

The G-8 Summit that concluded in L’Aquila, Italy, on Friday, 10 July 2009, issued a declaration in which members described how they intend to address desertification, land degradation and drought. The 134-paragraph declaration, titled, “Responsible Leadership for a Sustainable Future”, addresses several issues concerning the world economy, sustainable use of natural resources and development. more..

UNCCD press release

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International Congress “Oasis and Sustainable Tourism”
8 to 10 August. Water Tribune. EXPO Water 2008 more..

The beauty of the Deserts the challenge of Desertification.
Deserts of the Earth by Michael Martin more..

UNCCD Photobank
Visit the UNCCD photo gallery for images on desertification.
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Desert nights: Tales from the desert.
International Film Festival, Rome, 1-7 December 2006.