This informal guide was prepared by the UNCCD secretariat with the purpose of assisting participants to the meetings in Abidjan in making the sessions a success. This guide seeks to provide an overview of the structure, programme and agenda items of COP 15, CST 15 and CRIC 20, and practical information on how the work is carried out at the formal and informal settings. This guide is not meant to offer substantive proposals on the decisions to be made at the COP, but to support effective organization of work and focused discussions during the sessions. The secretariat would like to emphasize that this is an informal guide and should not be referred to as an official document.