24 May 2014: The Secretariat of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) and the Global Mechanism offered a series of eight workshops between April and May 2014, to build parties’ capacity to undertake the 2014 national reporting exercise.

The workshops were convened in Morocco (Africa), the Republic of Korea (Asia), Fiji (the Pacific), Peru (Latin America), Trinidad and Tobago (the Caribbean), Hungary (Central and Eastern Europe and Northern Mediterranean) and Germany (developed country Parties). The workshops were part of the Global Support Programme, which supports the reporting and National Action Programme (NAP) alignment processes within the framework of the UNCCD and its 10-year Strategy. The Programme is implemented by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), with funding from the Global Environment Facility (GEF).

For the 2014 reporting exercise, reporting entities are providing information on their implementation of the Operational Objectives of the 10-year Strategy. The reports will be submitted to the Committee for the Review of the Implementation of the Convention (CRIC), which will review them and offer recommendations to the twelfth session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 12). The COP is scheduled to convene in 2015.

Other resources for reporting entities include online learning materials, an online helpdesk service and regional consultants. In addition, an e-learning course is available for those who were unable to attend the workshops. [UNCCD News Release on Workshops][UNCCD Reporting and Review Information and Resources][E-learning course on UNCCD national reporting][Land Policy & Practice story about workshop in Fiji] [GM News]