By its resolution 47/188 of 22 December 1992, the General Assembly established an Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee for the Elaboration of an International Convention to Combat Desertification in those Countries Experiencing Serious Drought and/or Desertification, particularly in Africa,with a view to finalizing such a convention by June 1994.2. In resolution 48/191 of 21 December 1993, the General Assembly urged the Committee to complete the negotiations successfully by June 1994. The Assembly further requested the Secretary-General to report to it, at its forty-ninthsession, on the implementation of the resolution. .

At the end of its fifth session, on 17 June 1994, and having fulfilled itsmandate to adopt a convention, the Committee adopted resolution 5/2 on interimarrangements to apply during the period beginning with the adoption of theConvention and ending with the first meeting of the Conference of the Parties.In the same resolution, the Committee requested the Secretary-General to includein his report to the General Assembly at its forty-ninth session proposals forfurther sessions of the Committee and to enable the ad hoc secretariatestablished pursuant to resolution 47/188 to continue its activities on interim basis until the permanent secretariat of the Convention was designatedby the Conference of the Parties and began operating.4. The present report responds to the requests of the General Assembly and ofthe Committee. It supplements the information already provided to the Assemblyin the report of the Secretary-General under the corresponding agenda item atthe forty-eighth session (A/48/226)