UNCCD and Its InitiativesUNCCD and Its Initiatives

National SeminarNational SeminarUNECE Water Convention and UNECE Water Convention and Its Role in International LawIts Role in International Law

ByYang Youlin

OIC, Asia RCU/ UNCCD Secretariatyoulin.unescap@un.org

Almaty, 18-19 Oct. 2010

OUTLINEOUTLINE

1. Meeting the Challenge of Global Poverty and

Sustainable Development

2. The UNCCD as a Useful Tool for Achieving

Sustainable Development and Poverty

Alleviation

3. UNCCD’s Initiatives at Various Levels--Global,

Regional, Sub-regional and National

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Meeting the Challenge of Global Poverty and Meeting the Challenge of Global Poverty and Sustainable DevelopmentSustainable Development

Poverty alleviation and desertification could advan ce

together. The priority is to cooperate for the sust ainable

development of the communities who live in absolute

poverty or suffer from extreme poorness. These are often

rural communities in dryland areas;

Land degradation and poverty affect 3.6 billion ha worldwide, an area equivalent to one quarter of the earth’s la nd mass. Desertification affects 70% of all drylands on this planet in more than 100 countries. 24 billion tons of topsoil are estimated to be lost every year as a result of this phenomenon, with serious impact on agricultural pro duction.

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38% of the world population-2.3 billion people-live in dryland

areas. It is estimated that the livelihood of 250 m illion people

is directly affected by desertification, while anot her billion

living in rural drylands is threatened by this disas ter. Nearly

half of Africa’s population-or 325 million people-i s threatened

by desertification and millions are already affecte d in dryland

communities where basic subsistence is a daily chal lenge.

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There is a complex cause-effect relationship betwee n

desertification, population growth and poverty that is best

illustrated as a poverty/land degradation downward spiral,

whereby growing and impoverished populations overex ploit

their already stressed land resources, thereby furt her

degrading a shrinking resource base and exacerbatin g

poverty. In that circle, poverty is both a cause an d

consequence of land degradation, and the poor are b oth

agents and victims of the process.

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UNCCD UNCCD –– Useful tool for Achieving Sustainable Useful tool for Achieving Sustainable Development and Poverty AlleviationDevelopment and Poverty Alleviation

UNCCD was created to reverse the poverty-land degradation cycle and support the development needs of drylandscommunities in a sustainable way. It is characterized by:

1) An Authentic Sustainable Development Focus

UNCCD is a strategic instrument to integrate enviro nmental and developmental policies through its sustainable development focus;

2) A Focus on Poverty Stricken Communities in the Drylands

UNCCD offers a community-based, bottom-up, particip atory approach designed to support local communities faci ng the double challenge of poverty and desertification .

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3) A Tool to Prevent Socio-Economic Instability and Forced Migration

UNCCD offers advantages as an instrument that can prevent food insecurity, socio-economic disruption and forced migrations through the sustainable development of rural communities, thus also reducing pressure on the urban communities by the rural poor. The UNCCD addresses this challenge by channeling aid flows and integrative framework to support drylandcommunities development.

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4) A Tool to Prevent Conflict Over Scarce ResourcesUNCCD geographic scope coincides with areas where conflict over scarce resources is prevalent. Where environmental scarcity did not degenerate into violent conflict, the critical factor in preventing resources-based conflicts was the ability of local people in resource-poor areas to intensify agricultural production, better manage their pastoral areas, agree joint programmes for the sustainable management of transboundary natural resources or diversify their livelihoods without degrading environment;

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5) An Integrative, Participatory Instrument

UNCCD provides a framework for a participatory-thus democratic-and integrated approach to sustainable development: the National Action Programmes (NAPs). The NAPs promote policies and strengthen institutional frameworks which develop cooperation and coordination, in a spirit of partnership, between the donor community, governments at all levels, local populations and community groups, and facilitate access by local populations to appropriate information and technology and help them control the resources in their areas;

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6) A Multi-Layered Cooperation Instrument

UNCCD establishes a framework for the development of national, sub-regional and regional action programmes and international cooperation that are mutually reinforcing instruments. It also has the opportunities to establish synergies or linkages with other major environmental and socio-economic treaties including UNFCCC, CBD, as well as regional agreements;

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7) A Partnership Approach to Financial Resources

UNCCD is an effective instrument to coordinate

financial resources from multiple sources,

including those of foundations, non-

governmental organizations and other private

sector entities, with the aim of maximizing

benefits for the dryland communities.

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6.17--World Day to Combat Desertification and Mitigate Drought Effects

UNCCD and Its Initiative at Global LevelUNCCD and Its Initiative at Global Level� 1992 Rio Summit recommended the formulation of the UNCCD;� 1994 June UNCCD adopted and open for ratification;� 1996 December UNCCD came into force;� 1997 COP1, Rome, Italy;� 1998 COP2, Dakar, Senegal;� 1999 COP3, Recife, Brazil;� 2000 COP4, Bonn, Germany;� 2001 COP5, Geneva, Switzerland;� 2002 preparation of WSSD, and Preparation of CRIC1;� 2003 CRIC2 and COP6, Havana, Cuba;� 2004 CRIC3 in Bonn � 2005 CRIC4 and COP7, Nairobi, Kenya;� 2006 Asia-Pacific Regional Meeting on National Repo rt Preparation;� 2007 CRIC5 in BsAs, Argentina and COP8 in Madrid, S pain;� 2008 CRIC6 and Asia Regional Meeting in Istanbul, T urkey;� 2009 Asia R. Meeting in BKK, CRIC7, Sci. Con. , CST &COP9 in BsAs;� 2011 CRIC8 and Asia Regional Focal Points Meeting;� 2011 COP10 and CRIC9 in Changwon City, RoK. 13

At Regional Level At Regional Level ––Combating Desertification in AsiaCombating Desertification in Asia

� Desertification takes many different forms across t he vast Asia;� National Action Programmes are being formulated by s everal Asian

countries;� Affected developing countries’ National Action Progr amme

illustrates the need to make combating dryland degra dation a long-term strategic goal;

� Regional activities are being launched through TPNs ;� Six TPNs have been planned and launched in Asia Regi on; � Each TPN is coordinated by a country “task manager” ;� West Asia countries have developing a subregional pr ogramme to

strengthen their activities under the Convention;� Central Asia Countries outlined their SRAP and it i s planned to

align this SRAP;� East, Southeast and South Asia operate national eff orts in

implementing the UNCCD and their NAPs;� Southeast Asia SRAP development in Vietnam;� Northeast Asia Forest Network, proposed by RoK, Chi na, Japan

and Mongolia, on June 14-15, 2006 in Seoul, Rok.14

UNCCD Initiative at Regional Level UNCCD Initiative at Regional Level –– Six Six TPNsTPNs

�� Organizations of CRICs which were held in 2002Organizations of CRICs which were held in 2002 --03 and 2005 in 03 and 2005 in Bonn, Havana and BonnBonn, Havana and Bonn ;;

�� 11stst Asian Ministerial conference on CCD Implementation in China in Asian Ministerial conference on CCD Implementation in China in 19971997

�� 22ndnd Asian Ministerial Conference on CCD Implementation, UAE, Asian Ministerial Conference on CCD Implementation, UAE, 2003.2003. 15

UNCCD and Its Initiative at SubUNCCD and Its Initiative at Sub --regional Levelregional Level1. Support to the organization of a subregional work shop on

NEA in combating desertification, mitigating the ef fects of drought and controlling sand and dust storm in 2 002 ;

2. Support to promoting subregional collaboration in tacking land degradation and mitigating the effects of drou ght among the South Pacific Island countries in 2002;

3. Support to the preparation and implementation of a subregional action programme (SRAP) to combat desertification in the Aral Sea Basin in 2002;

4. Organized the SEA SRAP workshop and endorsment in Vietnam and Thailand in 2005 and 2007;

5. Coordinated and organized NEA SRAP workshop and

Symposium on Prevention and Control of DSS and Mitigation of DLDD in NEA.

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UNCCDUNCCD‘‘ss Initiative at National LevelInitiative at National Level

� National Awareness Seminars in the Affected Countri es Ratified or Acceded the UNCCD;

� Preparation of National Report to Implement the UNC CD in affected developing countries;

� Preparation and Adoption of the National Action Programme to Combat Desertification and Mitigate the Effects of Drought; 7 countries in Asia have submit ted;

� Coordination Meeting on Partnership Building and Resource Mobilization for the CCD Implementation -Roundtable meeting (1999 Mali, 2001 China). Who wil l be next?

� Preparation of Help guides for NAP and national rep ort;� Help national focal point strengthen national coord ination

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Thank you for your attention!Thank you for your attention!