3 September 2011: Representatives of past Presidents of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) Conferences of the Parties (COP), along with the forthcoming COP 10 host, the Republic of Korea, convened in Geneva, Switzerland, on 3 September 2011, to discuss upcoming meetings of the UN General Assembly on the theme “Addressing desertification, land degradation and drought in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication,” and UNCCD COP 10.

The “UNCCD Geneva Call for Urgent Action on the Implementation of the Convention” that resulted from this event calls on Parties to support the implementation of the Convention through building effective partnerships between national and international actors and deepening actions towards improving the conditions of the affected populations and ecosystems and generating global benefits.

It calls for synergies at the country-level among activities related to the Rio Conventions on biodiversity, climate change and desertification, and for strengthening collaboration with the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), taking advantage of the UN Decade on Biodiversity and the UN Decade for Deserts and the Fight against Desertification. The Call emphasizes the need to strengthen the UNCCD to become a global authority on scientific and technical knowledge on the issues of desertification, land degradation and drought (DLDD) and to align national actions with the 10-year strategy for 2008-2018.

The Call also confirms support to take the necessary measures at the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD, or Rio+20) towards mainstreaming DLDD as a major component of sustainable development and poverty eradication. [UNCCD Press Release] [UNCCD Geneva Call for Urgent Action on the Implementation of the Convention] [Geneva Call, circulated as document of UN General Assembly (A/66/391)]