UNCCD Global Mechanism
The Combating Desertification sub-component is executed by the Global Mechanism of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD). The Global Mechanism has a mandate to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of existing financial mechanisms and to promote actions leading to the mobilization and channeling of substantial financial resources to affected developing country Parties.

The The Global Mechanism works to generate enabling conditions for UNCCD country Parties and assists in capacity-building to ensure that rural communities, especially those engaged in rural subsistence agriculture in drylands, find adequate recognition in development programming processes. The Global Mechanism has established a number of Strategic Programmes to enhance country level impact by engaging actors and linking with sectors that have not traditionally been involved in UNCCD implementation, but which have significant potential for increasing investment flows for combating desertification and promoting Sustainable Land Management (SLM).

The level of finance for implementation of the UNCCD will depend increasingly on the political will of governments to identify sustainable land management as a national priority. In order to mobilize the urgently needed financial resources for implementation of the UNCCD, the Global Mechanism has developed the concept of integrated financing strategies, which are a comprehensive, coordinated arrangement of various financial sources, instruments and mechanisms, through which to secure sustainable, timely and predictable investments for UNCCD implementation. Such financing strategies will provide country partners with tools to align UNCCD priorities with those of other sectors or to compete for the allocation of resources in order to raise financial resources in a systematic, coherent and predictable manner.

The Global Mechanism will engage at national level with countries based on their need for financial and technical support. Some have already either prepared their National Action Programme (NAPs) and are in the process of undertaking resource mobilization efforts to implement their respective NAPs; others are starting to prepare their “re-shaped NAPs”.

The combating Desertification sub-component will be adapted and enhanced to suit the sub-regional specificities of ACP. Capacity building activities will be conducted through sub-regional training workshops which will serve to enhance the skills and provide tools to the national teams for

1. Creating an enabling environment to increase investments in SLM; and
2. Designing and implementing national integrated financing strategies.

GM will implement activities worth a total of 3.25 million euros over four years.