The First Conference of the Parties (COP-1) to the Convention to Combat Desertification (CCD) is meeting in Rome, Italy, from 29 September to 10 October 1997. A seminar for the media and an exhibit of comic strips addressing the theme of desertification was presented. On the ocasion of the first conference artists from around the world were asked to to join the exhibition and express their personal understanding and concern on desertification. The delegates were offered a chance to look at the issue of desertification from a new angle: humour. One single cartoon is more powerful sometimes than thousand of words.