JOURNAL

Thursday, 12 December 2024

6th Meeting 

Effective implementation of the Convention at national, subregional and regional levels [item 2]  

(a) Review of the report of the Committee for the Review of the Implementation of the Convention at its twenty-first session 

The Committee resumed its consideration of the item. 

The Committee adopted draft decisions L.2 and L.7 and recommended them to the Conference for adoption. 

(d) Development and promotion of activities for targeted capacity-building to further the implementation of the Convention   

The Committee adopted draft decision L.8 and recommended it to the Conference for adoption. 

The Committee concluded its consideration of the item and its sub-items. 

Improving the procedures for communication of information, as well as the quality and formats of reports to be submitted to the Conference of the Parties [item 3]  

The Committee resumed its consideration of the item. 

The Committee adopted draft decision L.6and recommended it to the Conference for adoption. 

The Committee concluded its consideration of the item. 

Securing of additional investments and relations with financial mechanisms [item 4]  

(a) Report by the Global Environment Facility on the financing of programmes and projects concerning desertification/land degradation and drought   

The Committee resumed its consideration of the item. 

The Committee adopted draft decision L.1 and recommended it to the Conference for adoption. 

(c) Report by the Global Mechanism on progress made in the mobilization of resources for the implementation of the Convention and matters relating to Sustainable Development Goal 15.3 

The Committee adopted draft decision L.5 and recommended it to the Conference for adoption. 

The Committee concluded its consideration of the item and its sub-items. 

Procedural matters: Programme of work for the twenty-third session of the Committee for the Review of the Implementation of the Convention [Item 5]  

The Committee resumed its consideration of the item.  

The Committee adopted draft decisions L.3 and L.4 and recommended them to the Conference for adoption. 

The Committee concluded its consideration of the item. 

Statements were made by representatives of Montenegro (on behalf of the Regional Implementation Annex for Central and Eastern Europe (Annex V)), Angola (on behalf of the Regional Implementation Annex for Africa (Annex I)), Ecuador (on behalf of the Regional Implementation Annex for Latin America and the Caribbean (Annex III)) and Guatemala. 

A statement was made by a representative of a civil society organization on behalf of civil society organizations. 

Adoption of the report of the Committee for the Review of the Implementation of the Convention [item 6] 

The Committee began its consideration of the item. 

The Rapporteur introduced the draft report. 

The Committee approved the draft report on the understanding that the Rapporteur would complete it with the assistance of the Secretariat. 

The Committee concluded its consideration of the item. 

Organizational matters [item 1]   

(b)  Election of officers other than the Chair of the Committee for the Review the Implementation of the Convention   

The Committee resumed its consideration of the item.  

The Committee elected the following candidates as Vice-Chairs of the Committee for its twenty-third and twenty-fourth sessions, with the understanding that they would assume their office immediately and one of whom would act as Rapporteur: Mr. Charles Lange of Kenya, Ms. Jia Xiaoxia of China and Mr. Pablo Viegas of Argentina. 

The Committee concluded its consideration of the item and its sub-item. 

The Chair made a statement. 

The Chair declared closed the twenty-second session of the Committee. 

The provisional list of registered participants attending the sixteenth session of the Conference of the Parties (COP16), the twenty-second session of the Committee for the Review of the Implementation of the Convention (CRIC22), and the sixteenth session of the Committee on Science and Technology (CST16) to the UNCCD can be viewed here.

The list has been generated based on the information entered directly into the Indico registration system by each participant and has been prepared based on the information received by the secretariat as of Thursday, 5 December 2024.

Each delegation is requested to send corrections via accrediation [at] unccd.int (e-mail) by Wednesday, 11 December 2024, at the latest.

The official document containing the final list of participants will be issued after the closure of the sessions. It will consider any additional information received by the secretariat prior to its issuance.

Registration for delegations of country Parties, United Nations organisations, intergovernmental and non-governmental organisations, side event participants, media and other participants will take place as follows:

Any changes to the opening hours of the registration desk will be communicated in the Official Journal of the session.

Identity badges will be issued at the time of registration, and participants are requested to wear them at all times, as they will not be allowed access to the session venue without presenting them.

On December 8th, the departure operation for the regular delegation is set to begin. There will be no shuttle service based on clusters; instead, buses will travel directly from each of the 15 hotels to the airport. 

Note that buses will depart promptly, making stops at Terminal 5 (domestic), then Terminal 2/3 (international), before returning to the hotels.

Check the timetable for each respective hotel.

Delegations are advised to contact Ms. Aphrodite Smagadi (00966 568701092) and Mr. Stadler Trengove (00966 568682169), AREA B, Office n^o 11 – Legal Office as soon as possible.

Delegations are advised that wireless internet access is available throughout the venue. The network name is COP16 Public, and no password is required.

A Computer Center is located in Area-C, providing 100 workstations and printing facilities. An ICT Helpdesk counter is also available in the same area to assist with technical support.

A link to the stream of the meetings of the COP 16 session can be found on the UN Web TV website, the COP 16 page of the UNCCD website.

The Daily Subsistence Allowance (DSA) for eligible participants will be distributed from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM. Please ensure you collect your allowance during these hours at the DSA room, which is located in Area C.

The Lost and Found service is located near the Registration area, offering convenient access near the Main Entrance.

All journalists must be accredited to attend. Accreditation can be completed through the Online Registration System (ORS). Additional information, including the full agenda and session details, is available on the COP16 website.

For inquiries, contact press [at] unccd.int (press[at]unccd[dot]int)

Medical services will be provided throughout the event by qualified healthcare professionals, ensuring that assistance is readily available. The Medical Care Center is located near the Registration area, close to the Main Entrance.

Emergency Response:

• Immediate Action: Medical vehicles will be stationed on-site to ensure a rapid response in case of emergencies.
• Coordination with Local Services: Collaboration with local emergency teams will be ensured to manage serious medical situations effectively.
• Health and Safety Standards: All procedures will adhere to the most current guidelines from the World Health Organization (WHO) and local health authorities.
• Ambulance Placement: Ambulances will be strategically located at key areas, including the Blue Zone and VIP sections, to ensure quick access to medical care.

You can find a list of Emergency Contact Numbers here. 

The KSA Emergency number is 112 (reachable without a SIM card). 

Requests for inclusion in the schedule of meetings of regional and interest groups should be communicated to:

Kayhan UI (kul [at] unccd.int (kul[at]unccd[dot]int) ; phone: 00966-544050235) or Mahamadou Tari Bako (mbako [at] unccd.int (mbako[at]unccd[dot]int) ; phone: 00966-568723965).

To facilitate seamless transportation during COP 16, a dedicated shuttle service has been arranged between the conference venue and official hotels.

Use our Interactive Map to explore routes and locations, including shuttle pickup and drop-off points, along with timetables for transportation between hotels, the venue, and the airport. This resource is also available in the app under COP 16 Information.

We encourage participants to use the shuttle service to minimize environmental impact and ease transportation logistics. Thank you for contributing to a sustainable COP 16!

The UNCCD Conference App is an easy tool for participants of official UNCCD events to have access to the latest conference schedules, all official documents and other relevant information related to the UNCCD process and conference logistics, including an interactive map for shuttle services. It also provides information on the latest up-to-date schedule of events in the Blue Zone.

The UNCCD Conference App is relevant for all delegates and other participants of all sessions of the UNCCD Conference of Parties (COP), the Committee of Science and Technology (CST) and the Committee for the Review of the Implementation of the Convention (CRIC).