UNCCD welcomes Canada’s statement about re-joining the convention

Ottawa, Ontario, June 17, 2016 – We welcome the joint statement by Stéphane Dion, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and the Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of International Development and La Francophonie, on the World Day to Combat Desertification, announcing that Canada intends to re-sign the UN Convention to Combat Desertification and Drought. Canada's renewed engagement and leadership signals the growing recognition of the role of healthy and productive land in fighting climate change and in delivering food and water security for people right around the world.

The statement Reads:

"Joint statement by ministers Dion and Bibeau on World Day to Combat Desertification

June 17, 2016 – Ottawa, Ontario – Global Affairs Canada

The Honourable Stéphane Dion, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and the Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of International Development and La Francophonie, today issued the following statement on World Day to Combat Desertification:

On this day we recognize that desertification is linked to many of Canada’s development priorities, such as food security, agriculture, peace and security, access to water, livestock production and renewable energy. 

We recognized the importance of these issues when Canada joined the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification [UNCCD] in 1995. In 2014, Canada was the only country in the world to withdraw from the UNCCD. Today we are taking positive steps to rejoin the global effort. ​

Canada recognizes not just the link between land degradation and climate change, but also the risks that desertification poses to realizing the Sustainable Development Goals. We are coordinating with our international partners to implement the 2030 Agenda and its ambitious objective to eradicate poverty, fight inequality and injustice, and tackle climate change. 

Canada is committed to improving the resilience of developing countries to climate change, which disproportionately affects women and girls.

Canada has also contributed more than $216 million to the most recent Global Environment Facility replenishment, the main funding channel of the UNCCD, making us the sixth-largest donor. 

We are committed to joining world action on climate change, land degradation and desertification. That is why Canada intends to rejoin the UNCCD at the earliest opportunity, subject to Parliamentary approval in the fall."

For more information see: http://news.gc.ca/web/article-en.do?nid=1086379