31 March 2011: The Secretariat of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) has announced that the Bureau of the Convention’s Committee on Science and Technology (CST) has selected Global Risk Forum, Davos, Switzerland (GRF Davos) as the lead institution to organize the 2nd UNCCD Scientific Conference.

The 2nd UNCCD Scientific Conference will convene under the theme “Economic assessment of desertification, sustainable land management and resilience of arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid areas,” and will take place in 2012 at a special session of the CST. GRF Davos will work under the guidance of the CST Bureau to organize the event. In addition, GRF Davos, with the support of the UNCCD Secretariat, will seek to involve relevant networks, institutions, agencies, bodies and scientific organizations at the regional and subregional levels, non-governmental organizations and other civil society stakeholders in the preparation of the conference. [UNCCD News Report]