12 April 2013: At the close of the third special session of the Committee on Science and Technology (CST S-3) for the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), the Scientific & Traditional Knowledge for Sustainable Development (STK4SD) consortium briefly discussed preparations for the UNCCD 3rd Scientific Conference, which it will organize under the guidance of the CST Bureau.

In decision 18/COP.10, at the tenth session of the Conference of the Parties to the UNCCD, delegates agreed that the UNCCD 3rd Scientific Conference would take place in 2014 at the fourth special session of the Committee on Science and Technology (CST S-4). The decision also specifies that the Conference should address, “combating DLDD (desertification land degradation and drought) for poverty reduction and sustainable development: the contribution of science, technology, traditional knowledge and practices.”

Following a call for expressions of interest to serve as the lead institution or consortium to organize the 3rd Scientific Conference, the CST Bureau, at its meeting in October 2012, selected STK4SD to organize Conference. The consortium brings together five organizations: Agropolis International, DesertNet International, the Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), L’Observatoire du Sahara et du Sahel (OSS), and the Instituto Argentino des Investigaciones de las Zonas Aridas (IADIZA).

At the close of CST S-3, delegates reviewed the progress report on preparations for the UNCCD 3rd Scientific Conference, ‘Combating desertification/land degradation and drought for poverty eradication and sustainable development: the contribution of science, technology, traditional knowledge and practices’ (ICCD/CST(S-3)/4). Richard Escadafal, speaking on behalf of the STK4SD consortium, thanked the CST Bureau for selecting it to organize the 3rd Scientific Conference. He explained that, in addition to the five major networks and institutions, other organizations have indicated interest in being part of the 3rd Scientific Conference. [IISD RS coverage of CST S-3 and UNCCD 2nd Scientific Conference][UNCCD 3rd Scientific Conference webpage]