24 May 2013: The Secretariat of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) has invited comments on the draft report of the intersessional working group (IWG) to prepare the mid-term evaluation of the UNCCD 10-Year Strategy. Comments are requested by 5 June 2013. The draft is available in English; versions in French, Russian and Spanish versions will be available soon.

The 10-year strategic plan and framework to enhance the implementation of the Convention (‘The Strategy’) was adopted by parties at the seventh session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 7), in 2008. At COP 11, in September 2013, an independent mid-term evaluation will review progress to date and make recommendations for changes. COP 10 in 2011, called for the establishment of the IWG to prepare recommendations on the mid-term evaluation, under the direction of the Bureau of the COP.

The IWG has held three meetings to date. The first two meetings took place in 2012. The third meeting convened following the 11th meeting of the Committee for the Review of the Implementation of the Convention (CRIC), in April 2013. The IWG discussed its draft conclusions and recommendations, taking into account the outcomes of the UNCCD meetings that had just concluded; CRIC 11 and the third special session of the Committee on Science and Technology (CST S-3). Initial feedback that had been received from the regional and interest groups was also considered. The IWG agreed to open the first draft of the final IWG report for comments from all interested stakeholders. A fourth meeting of the IWG is scheduled for 24-25 June 2013, in Seoul, Republic of Korea, to consider the comments and complete a final report for submission to COP 11.

The report organizes its general findings and conclusions around the strategic and operational objectives of the Strategy. The recommendations are clustered into four areas: planning/monitoring and improved implementation of the Strategy, including consideration of the objectives and related monitoring of progress, and the policy and programme aspects of implementation; the CST; the CRIC; and the regional coordination mechanisms. [UNCCD webpage on mid-term evaluation of The Strategy][Land Policy & Practice post about first two IWG meetings]