Since the inception of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification(UNCCD) in 1994 and its coming into force in 1996, the world has changed, and not slightly. Building on the foundation laid by Parties during the first decade of
the Convention, the Eighth Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 8) in Madrid in 2007 adopted the 10-Year Strategic Plan and Framework to Enhance the Implementation of the Convention 2008 –2018, known more simply as ‘The Strategy’. It recognizes that combating desertification, land degradation and drought (DLDD) is a global environmental challenge, which deserves a specific momentum and strong international mobilization. Under the present conditions of climate change and the growing scarcity of productive natural capital such as arable land and water, The Strategy aims to rally a global coalition to deliver benefits for people and ecosystems everywhere and generate downto-earth responses to some of the major international challenges of our time. The protection of land and soil is essential both for adapting to climate change and attaining the Millennium Development Goals. Protecting the land means stemming the factors of forced migrations, reducing the causes of conflicts and alleviating the impact of natural disasters. The UNCCD is the only international treaty addressing the need for sustainable management of the land. As such, it can serve as an instrument for collaborative innovation between all parties fighting for environmental security and justice.