Revitalizing the UNCCD: discussion paper on policy options to respond to land degradation
As a supporter of the Dryland Science for Development Consortium (DSD), the Global Mechanism (GM) is pleased to announce the recent publication of a discussion paper on policy options to respond to the global challenge of land degradation. The paper, entitled Revitalizing the UNCCD, is the result of a collaborative effort by a group of experts with extensive experience in the field including Zafar Adeel, David Dent, Philip Dobie, Christian Mersmann, Maryam Niamir-Fuller, Simone Quatrini, and Youba Sokona.
While not necessarily reflecting the official positions of their respective agencies, the authors suggest innovative concepts and ideas for potential consideration at the ninth session of the Conference of Parties (COP9) of the UNCCD, currently being held in Buenos Aires, Argentina (21 September-2 October 2009).
The policy oriented discussion paper emphasizes, inter alia, these key points:
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land degradation is a problem of global dimensions, and originates from a variety of causes, including unsustainable production and consumption practices taking place beyond drylands;
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more rigorous biophysical and socio-economic scientific arguments are needed to better appreciate the issues and options at stake and substantiate decision-making;
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the value of land, in particular, and its role in securing local and global common goods and services should be properly assessed in light of increasing demographic and economic pressures on this finite resource;
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specific measures can be put in place to generate adequate incentives for sustainable use of natural resources and open up innovative financial opportunities for sustainable land management investments, such as market-based mechanisms to compensate for ecosystem goods and services; and
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development aid should support the creation of a conducive environment for responsible private investment, for example by facilitating the transfer of technologies and strengthening relevant policy, institutional and regulatory frameworks.
In this context, the Ten-Year Strategic Plan and Framework of the UNCCD and the elaboration of integrated financing strategies (IFSs) to facilitate the development of comprehensive investment frameworks are identified in the paper as instruments with the potential to effectively enhance implementation of the Convention at country level.
The paper will be tabled for discussion during the second Round Table of the COP9 High Level Segment on Tuesday 29 September that will address the issue of the potential of land in the context of the ongoing negotiations for a new climate regime at Copenhagen.
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