UNCCD Terminology

The Conference of the Parties may appoint ad hoc panels on the recommendation of the Committee on Science and Technology (CST), whose function is to provide advice and information on specific issues, regarding scientific and technical matters. Its members are experts, whose names are taken from a roster of government-nominated experts, considering the need for a multidisciplinary approach and broad geographical representation.

The process of adjustment to actual or expected climate and its effects. In human systems, adaptation seeks to moderate or avoid harm or exploit beneficial opportunities. In some natural systems, human intervention may facilitate adjustment to expected climate and its effects.

A geographic area that serves administrative and governmental functions. They are usually defined and established by legal action.

An Advance Market Commitment (AMC) is a promise or agreement to take some future action. For example, a promise by a buyer to purchase goods at a price set beforehand is an advance commitment. In financial markets, parties may make an advance commitment to sell an asset before they own it; the seller often buys a futures contract to offset the risk of a price increase at the time of purchase. In banking, a financial institution will make an advance commitment to a borrower to lend funds on a specified date on agreed-upon terms. 

(Source: http://www.investopedia.com/)

Advocacy is the act or process of supporting a cause or proposal.
(Source: OECD Development Assistance Committee (2002), Glossary of Key Terms in Evaluation and Results Based Management. http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/29/21/2754804.pdf)

According to 1992 United Nations estimates, over 110 countries in all continents are affected by desertification, which is defined as land degradation in arid, semi-arid and/or dry sub-humid areas.

Afforestation is planting of new forests on lands that historically have not contained forests.

A programme of work that the Conference of the Parties adopts and uses to guide its work; the annotated agenda contains a more detailed explanation of each agenda item.

Specific issue listed in the Agenda to be addressed by a given meeting.

The combination of related categories, usually within a common branch of a hierarchy, to provide information at a broader level to that at which detailed observations are taken.

A land resource mapping unit, defined in terms of climate, landform and soils, and/or land cover, and having a specific range of potentials and constraints for land use.
(Source: http://www.fao.org/faoterm/en/)

Integrates the use of woody perennials with agricultural crops and/ or animals for a variety of benefits and services, including better use of soil and water re-sources; multiple fuel, fodder, and food products; and habitat for associated species.

Net Primary Productivity is the net amount of carbon assimilated after photosynthesis and autotrophic respiration over a given period of time. It is typically represented in units such as kg/ha/year (annual NPP or ANPP).
(Source: Clark, D.A., Brown, S., Kicklighter, D. W., Chambers, J. Q., Thomlinson, J. R. and Ni, J. (2001), measuring net primary production in forests: concepts and filed methods. Ecological Applications, 11: 356-370. Doi:10.1890/1051-0761 (2001)011[0356:MNPPIF]2.0.CO;2)

Aquaculture -- also known as fish or shellfish farming -- refers to the breeding, rearing, and harvesting of plants and animals in all types of water environments including ponds, rivers, lakes, and the ocean.

Established in 1989, UMA is a sub-regional intergovernmental organisation that, amongst other attributions, assists North African countries to implement the Convention. UMA’s members include Algeria, Lybia, Mauritania, Morocco and Tunisia.

Areas, other than polar and sub-polar regions, in which the ratio of annual precipitation to potential evapotranspiration falls within the range from 0.05 to 0.65.