9 September 2013: Preparations for the eleventh meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD COP 11) are well underway, with the themes for three high-level roundtables and a concluding discussion set.

In other preparations, a guide to the negotiations and related summary for policymakers has been released by the Institut de la Francophonie pour le développement durable (IFDD).

The UNCCD COP 11 is taking place under the theme ‘A stronger UNCCD for a Land-Degradation Neutral World,’ and will convene in Windhoek, Namibia, from 16-27 September 2013.

The meeting will include a two-day, high-level segment, on 23-24 September 2013, during which special statements on behalf of regional and interest groups will be offered, followed by round table dialogue sessions on: the ‘Role of the UNCCD in achieving a land-degradation neutral world in the context of sustainable development;’ ‘Overcoming the hurdles of scaling up and disseminating good practices in the context of the UNCCD implementation process;’ and ‘Economics of desertification/land degradation and restoration: Considering cost-benefit analyses for scaling up investments in avoiding land degradation and restoring/regenerating degraded land.’ A concluding discussion will consider ‘Capitalizing on achievements and enhancing the implementation of the UNCCD and The Strategy at country and regional levels.’

In preparation for the meeting, IFDD has published a guide to the negotiations and a summary for policy makers, which are available in French and English. [Publications: Guide to the Negotiations and Summary for Policy Makers][UNCCD COP 11 documents]