Paris, 14 October 1994
Objectives
The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification is a major achievement
of the international community. Stemming from the United Nations Earth
Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, the Convention is an innovative document,
which breaks new ground in international environmental law.
The Convention describes its objective as "[t]o combat desertification
and mitigate the effects of drought in countries experiencing serious drought
and/or desertification, particularly in Africa, through effective action
at all levels, supported by international cooperation and partnership arrangements
in the framework of an integrated approach which is consistent with Agenda
21, with a view to contributing to the achievement of sustainable development
in affected areas". Furthermore, the Convention adds that "[a]chieving
this objective will involve long-term integrated strategies that focus
simultaneously, in affected areas, on improved productivity of the land
and the rehabilitation, conservation and sustainable management of land
and water resources, leading to improved living conditions, in particular,
at the community level."
Key Provisions
Both affected and developed Contracting Parties undertake comprehensive
sets of obligations under the Convention. In accordance with the Convention,
all Contracting Parties have an obligation to adopt an integrated approach
addressing the physical, biological and socio-economic aspects of desertification
and drought. In addition, affected Contracting Parties undertake to give
priority to combatting desertification and mitigating the effects of drought
by establishing strategies and priorities within the framework of sustainable
development plans and policies. In turn, Contracting Parties from developed
countries commit themselves to active support by providing substantial
financial resources and other forms of assistance, individually or jointly,
to the efforts of affected developing Contracting Parties.
The Convention is to be implemented through National Action Programmes
supplemented by such programmes at regional and sub-regional levels. National
Action Programmes form the very core of the Convention. The Contracting
Parties should implement the Convention, taking into account the participation
of populations and local communities in a spirit of partnership and international
cooperation.
The Conference of the Parties (COP) is established as the supreme body
of the Convention, whose main task is to make the decisions necessary to
promote effective implementation of the Convention. The Convention also
establishes a Permanent Secretariat which will, among other duties, make
arrangements for sessions of the Conference of the Parties and its subsidiary
bodies, and compile and transmit reports submitted to it. Scientific and
technological information and advice will be provided by a Committee on
Science and Technology.
Africa is given priority and particular attention throughout the Convention
and the first of the four Regional Implementation Annexes, which form an
integral part of the Convention, is devoted to the continent. There are
three further Regional Implementation Annexes to the Convention (Asia,
Latin America and the Caribbean and the Northern Mediterranean) to provide
guidelines and arrangements for the effective implementation of the Convention.
All of the Annexes provide for action programmes to be part and parcel
of their policies for sustainable development.