Earth Day celebration and WDCD launch at the embassy of Ecuador in Chile

23 April, 2018 – Santiago, Chile – The UNCCD Regional coordination unit (RCU) for Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) in partnership with the embassy of Ecuador in Chile organized an event to commemorate the Earth Day and launch the World Day to Combat  Desertification (WDCD) campaign that will culminate with the celebration in Quito, Ecuador on 17 June, 2018.

The event gathered ambassadors of LAC diplomatic delegations based in Chile, representatives of international organizations and the ministries of agriculture, environment and foreign affairs of Chile, as well as academia and non-governmental organizations. The launch of WDCD2018 campaign motivated participants to learn more about the UNCCD activities, prompting an active discussion on issues of desertification and land degradation.

The program included a video greeting from the UNCCD Executive Secretary Ms. Monique Barbut, a presentation on the state of desertification in Chile by the UNCCD national focal point Mr. José Manuel Rebolledo, a review of the implementation of the convention and the LDN TSP programme in Chile by the RCU-LAC coordinator Mr. José Miguel Torrico, and welcome addresses by the ambassador of Ecuador in Chile, Mr. Homero Arellano and the minister counsellor of the Ecuadorian embassy Mr. Oscar Izquierdo.

The event concluded with a cocktail reception that featured Ecuadorian chocolate tasting.

Read more:

• Video greeting from the UNCCD Executive Secretary Ms. Monique Barbut
• World Day to Combat Desertification
• Land degradation neutrality target-setting programme
• The role of regions under the UNCCD
• UNCCD national focal points