UNCCD Sessions

16-25 February 2011

 

      Two United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) sessions will take place in Bonn, Germany on 16-25 February 2011: the ninth session of the Committee for the Review of the Implementation of the Convention (CRIC 9) and the second special session of the CST (CST-S2). Among the participants of both events there will be the delegates of UNCCD member states, of specialized UN agencies and programs, as well as of intergovernmental and nongovernmental organizations.  

      The objective of CRIC 9 is to review the performances and to evaluate the implementation of the Convention in line with the new methodologies, especially with the new performance indicators of the operational objectives of the UNCCD Strategy.  

      Also, the fourth national reporting cycle at the Convention started this year, and the CRIC session will offer the possibility to formulate conclusions and recommendations on the basis of the national communications.

      During the meeting the following matters will be examined and discussed:

• The financial flows for the implementation of the Convention;

• Best practices in the implementation of the Convention;

• Inserting the activities of the social society organizations in the CRIC work program;

• Improving the procedures for communication of information, as well as the quality and format of reports to be submitted to the Conference of the Parties;

• The contribution of CST in the evaluation of impact indicators;

• Adoption of the CRIC report with conclusions and recommendations.

      The objective of CST2 is to reshape the operation of the Committee in line with the new UNCCD Strategy. Also, during the session, the results of the first UNCCD Scientific Conference will be evaluated and the preparation of the second Scientific Conference will be discussed.

      CST will analyze the possibilities of UNCCD to become a global authority on scientific and technical knowledge pertaining to desertification/land degradation and mitigation of the effects of drought.

      Also, the following matters will be discussed during the CST session:

• Progress made on the implementation of the knowledge-management system, including traditional knowledge, best practices and success stories on desertification, land degradation and drought issues;

• Science and technology correspondents;

• Regional scientific initiatives;

• Consideration of the status of work on methodologies and baselines for an effective use of the subset of impact indicators on UNCCD strategic objectives;

• Adoption of the CST session report.

      The representative of the Republic of Moldova at both events is Mr. Ilie Boian, the Director of the State Hydrometeorological Service and National Coordinator with UNCCD. If we take into consideration the intensification of the desertification and land degradation processes, the participation of Moldova at these sessions is very relevant. Droughts intensify and become more extensive because of the global climate change. Thus, the physical and chemical land degradation occurs in these conditions, and the amelioration means taken by the government do not correspond to the intensity of land degradation. At the same time, approximately 40% of Moldova’s arable land suffers from erosion. The area of the eroded land grows annually by 0,9%, and the fertile soil losses are estimated at 26 million tons.

      On this basis, the CRIC and CST sessions will represent an opportunity to make an interchange of opinions and practices in the field of combating land degradation.