Decision 8/COP.9 requested the secretariat to generate advocacy policy frameworks on thematic issues in order to address the adverse impacts of DLDD, and to regularly inform affected countries and other key stakeholders on such proceedings that may be useful in the implementation of action programmes.
The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) resolutions on “Combatting sand and dust storms” adopted in 2015 (A/RES/70/195) and 2016 (A/RES/71/219), respectively, acknowledge that SDS represents a severe impediment to the
sustainable development of affected developing countries and the well-being of their peoples. The UNGA resolutions emphasize the need to strengthen the leadership role of the United Nations system in promoting international cooperation to mitigate and contain SDS. The UNCCD, in collaboration with WMO and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) produced a Global Assessment of Sand and Dust Storms, in response to UNGA resolution A/RES/70/195.
Based on decisions 9/COP.10, 9/COP.11 and 9/COP.12, the secretariat, in collaboration with UNEP and WMO, developed the draft policy framework for sand and dust storms (PFSDS) below.
The draft PFSDS was circulated to, and benefitted from the comments by, UNCCD national focal points.

Some 151 country Parties (77 per cent) are affected directly by SDS and 45 Parties (23 per cent) are classified as SDS source areas. Many SDS originate in arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid areas, although their impacts are frequently
felt outside drylands due to long-range transport of dust.