The General Assembly, in its resolution 62/195, declared 2010–2020 the United Nations Decade for Deserts and the Fight against Desertification. At the sixty-ninth session of the Assembly, the Secretary-General presented a report on the activities and special events carried out in the first half of the Decade (A/69/311) by the secretariat of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in Those Countries Experiencing Serious Drought and/or Desertification, Particularly in Africa, together with five collaborating partners: United Nations Environment Programme; United Nations Development Programme; International Fund for Agricultural Development; Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations; and the Department of Public Information (now the Department of Global Communications).

The present report, which is prepared pursuant to resolution 69/221, focuses on the achievements of the Decade in relation to its stated aim: raising awareness of the causes of and solutions to ongoing land degradation and desertification in the framework of the 10-year strategic plan and framework to enhance implementation of the Convention (2008–2018), adopted at the eighth session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in Those Countries Experiencing Serious Drought and/or Desertification, particularly in Africa. It also highlights the collaborating partners and concludes with observations and recommendations for action that could amplify these achievements and implementation of the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (2021–2030).

Actions undertaken by the secretariat of the Convention and its partners
Achievements and observations
Advances in the science on desertification, land degradation and drought
Land degradation neutrality
Promoting gender equality
Monitoring and assessment of desertification, land degradation and drought
Mitigating the impacts of drought
Global action on sand and dust storms
Observations and recommendations

On the occasion of the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought, held on 17 June 2020, the Secretary-General called for “a new contract for nature” through international action and solidarity, and for the scaling up of “land restoration and nature-based solutions for climate action and the benefit of future generations”. Member States may also wish to consider exploring the adoption of a new “contract for nature”, one that is founded on the recognition that the long-term resilience and well-being of humanity depend on the health and integrity of nature. Its aim should be to consolidate shared values and the lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic in order to build back better and foster a culture of healthy engagement with nature and a sense of responsibility to future generations