Panel event in Berlin: Climate, land and food security

A joint event of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), and German Advisory Council on Global Change (WBGU) was held in Berlin on 15 October 2008.

About 100 officials, among them many ambassadors and members of the federal German parliament, attended the two-hour panel discussion, followed by an inter-active open forum and a reception. The discussion was active and forthcoming, focused on the linkages between climate change and desertification, land degradation and drought. The event promoted a better understanding of the need to forge a global coalition to combat land degradation in the present context of climate change and food security.

The panelist included H.E. Mr. Erich Stather, State Secretary, H.E Mr. Erich Stather, State Secretary, Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development of Germany, Hon. Mr. Thilo Hoppe, Chairman of the Commission on Economic Cooperation and Development of the Bundestag and Mr. Luc Gnacadja, Executive Secretary of the UNCCD. Representatives of the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Economic Cooperation/Development, Environment and Agriculture/Consumer Protection also attended the event.