ENV/DEV/377

INTERGOVERNMENTAL NEGOTIATING COMMITTEE INFORMED OF ACTIONS TO COMBAT DESERTIFICATION

The representative of Lesotho, speaking on behalf of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), listed several priorities, including strengthening regional early warning systems, such as the Food Security Early Warning System in Zimbabwe; the transfer of appropriate technology to communities; and the development of alternative sources of energy.

The representative of Portugal elaborated on problems facing Africa, including the lack of effective local involvement and inadequate political commitment. He stressed the importance of developing income- and employment- generating activities for local communities and establishing new funding mechanisms at national, regional and international levels.

The representative of China said South-South cooperation should above all be carried out by bilateral arrangements and through tripartite arrangements in which developed countries participated as the third party.

The representative of Ireland, speaking on behalf of the European Union, said the main responsibility for dealing with the desertification problem rested with the affected nations themselves. Money alone was not enough; also essential were the fundamental participation of landholders and women.

The representative of Eritrea announced measures being taken by his country to arrest desertification, including the planting of more than 13 million seedlings in the past two years, a new land law promoting sustainable land use and environmental protection, and the banning of the cutting of naturally grown trees and the manufacture of charcoal.

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Also speaking this morning were the representatives of Mali, Senegal, Niger, Germany, Ghana, Malawi, Swaziland, Gambia, Ethiopia, Namibia, Djibouti, Benin, Egypt and Algeria.

The Committee will meet again at 3 p.m. today to continue to discuss urgent action for Africa and interim action in the Asian, Latin American, the Caribbean, and the northern Mediterranean regions.

Committee Work Programme

The Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee for the Elaboration of an International Convention to Combat Desertification in Those Countries Experiencing Serious Drought and/or Decertification, Particularly in Africa, met this morning to begin consideration of urgent action for Africa and interim action in Asian, Latin American and the Caribbean, and northern Mediterranean regions.

Statements

BISA WILLIAMS-MANIGUALT (United States), following up on discussions at the previous meeting of the Committee, said her Government fully supported the list of non-governmental organizations that had been accredited.

AMADOU KONE (Mali) said his country's economic and social development plan for 1987-1991 had made desertification a priority, including focusing on restoring degraded systems, energy management and the rational development of resources. Since 1991, the Government had also focused on broader popular participation in planning, freedom of the press, decentralization, promoting private sector involvement, consensus-building, the environment and the role of women. Many lessons had been drawn from a series of forums the Government had organized and participated in, he said. Above all, the population had greater knowledge of desertification and on how to deal with it.

CI LONGJUN (China) said her country had hosted in Beijing a forum on desertification in Asia and Africa. The final report had stressed the importance of equality and mutual benefit, States learning from one another and doing things within their capabilities. It said South-South cooperation should be supported by developed countries, and such cooperation should above all be carried out by bilateral arrangements and through tripartite arrangements in which developed countries participated as the third party.

JAMES O'CONNELL (Ireland), speaking on behalf of the European Union, said the Union continued to be the largest source of development assistance to combat desertification, particularly in Africa. Such assistance varied from continuing current projects in the field to supporting high-level policy- making initiatives. The main responsibility for dealing with the problem rested with the affected nations themselves. Money alone was not enough; also essential was the fundamental participation of landholders and women.

NDIAWAR DIENG (Senegal) said efforts were being made to lift legal restraints so as to promote the empowerment of the local population, transferring such responsibilities as natural resource management to local communities and locally elected officials. The World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought had been celebrated on 17 June; activities related

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to that Day had continued for an entire week. The national action programme for combating desertification would be developed as part of an overall plan for the environment. A national environmental fund was being established.

HADJO ABDOULMOUMINE (Niger) said that in June her country had put into place a national environmental council for sustainable development. Two hundred and fifty villages throughout the country were going to be assisted through a grass-roots approach. Niger was ready to host the next forum on desertification in Asia and Africa, and it was taking part in many meetings at the regional and subregional level regarding the problem.

CLAUDIA FUNKE (Germany) said her country was continuing its support to subregional organizations. It was giving particular attention to Mali. Work on the national action programme there had shown that flexibility was essential. There was a need to leave room for adopting lessons learned. Substantial finances were required. Efforts to accelerate participatory processes would be more expensive in the long run. The full participation and cooperation of stakeholders at all levels was important. In Namibia, Germany had provided training, workshops and consultancies. In general, it was important that governments establish priorities to deal with desertification. Donor countries needed to increase their understanding of the scope and importance of the Convention.

ABDULLAH IDDRISU (Ghana) said his country had decentralized decision- making in the battle against drought and desertification. Various publicity campaigns had been organized for people in the most affected areas. A national desertification programme was in operation, and a national environment fund had been set up. Ghana would soon deposit the instrument to ratify the Convention. It had demonstrated goodwill and commitment in the implementation of the Convention and now required the assistance of its partners.

GOODSON SAKANDA (Malawi) said his country's environmental problems had been carefully documented. The underlying causes were high population growth, poverty, high illiteracy and persistent drought. In 1996, a new environmental policy and a new forestry policy had been drawn up and a new environmental act passed. There was a lack of awareness of the Convention, both at the local level and -- what was of greater concern -- among the higher levels of government. Forums were being arranged to sensitize government officials.

BONGANI MASUKU (Swaziland) said his country had been active in creating awareness about the Convention. There had been celebrations to mark the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought. Two regional awareness workshops had been held. Work was under way to establish a desertification fund.

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FODAY BOJANG (Gambia) said efforts had been made to increase awareness of the Convention as well as to develop a national action programme. Grass- roots meetings had been held to inform local populations about the Conventions on Biological Diversity, against Desertification and on Climate Change.

SEMERE AMLESOM (Eritrea) announced various measures which were being taken by his country to arrest desertification. Those included the planting of more than 13 million seedlings in the past two years and the formulation of a national action plan. A "Green Week" was observed in February, marked by roadside tree planting, green-area development and students' tours of reforested areas. Eritrea had formulated a new land law, with the objectives of creating the opportunity for land users to incorporate environmental improvements on their land, as well as creating the right ambience for sustainable land use and environmental protection. Eritrea had also banned the cutting of naturally grown trees as well as the manufacture of charcoal, while encouraging the use of kerosene stoves.

TSEDALE WAKTOLA (Ethiopia) said a memorandum recommending the ratification of the Convention had been sent to the federal Government and work was expected to be completed on it this year. Awareness-raising workshops on drought and desertification had been organized and were attended by individuals, non-governmental organizations and people from areas affected by the problem. Dissemination of information on the Convention had also been widely undertaken in the press. A national disaster prevention body had also been set up, as required by the Convention. On the national action plan, she said work was in progress, but that the implementation required funds.

CHRIS BROWN (Namibia) said the country's response to the challenge of desertification was embodied in a programme being implemented in phases. The programme included an economic evaluation of the impact and costs of desertification, which revealed that desertification cost the country 200 million Namibian dollars a year. Among the problems of the programme was a shortage of expertise.

DJAMA MAHAMOUD DOUALEH (Djibouti) said the country had held a national awareness workshop on the Convention. It would also work with the Convention secretariat to set up a national action plan in 1997.

EDOUUARD AHO-GLELE (Benin) said that following the adoption of the Convention, countries of the west African sub-region met to work out a common approach. Among the objectives were the subject of awareness of desertification, and to work out and adopt national action programmes. Under the Benin plan of action, the country has had three national days of awareness-raising, and a campaign was held for the media under the framework of the Desertification Day. A timetable for the development of a national

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action plan had been established. Various sectors of the society were involved in the preparation of the plan.

FERNANDO MOTA (Portugal) said Portugal had ratified the Convention. It had given greater urgency to concluding its national programme to combat desertification and to reviewing its national forest programme in the area of desertification. It had assumed responsibilities in the elaboration of a North Mediterranean programme. He noted that among the problems facing Africa were lack of effective local involvement, inadequate use of indigenous technologies, too many plans with too much focus on quantity rather than quality, inadequate political commitment, deficient training and poorly resourced institutions. There would be very little progress if countries were left on their own to resolve problems. It was important, for example, to promote long-term development plans that were participatory and holistic; develop income- and employment-generating activities for local communities; and establish new funding mechanisms at national, regional and international levels.

SALAH TAHOUN (Egypt) said his country had found that technology alone could not provide the means for combating desertification. The programme it was putting into place had several phases. Those would include awareness campaigns, social and economic incentives, regional and international cooperation, monitoring and assessment programmes, the establishment of data bases, and the management and physical implementation of projects.

RAMADANE LAHOUATI (Algeria) said that with much of its land desert or dry, Algeria had long worked to maintain its greenbelt. It was now placing greater emphasis on such things as land management and public participation. It had recently instituted a technological sensing system. Mobilizing national human and technical means was necessary but would not be sufficient. International cooperation was vital to support national and regional efforts. He urged countries to think more about debt alleviation, particularly for Africa.

PERCY MANGOAELA (Lesotho), speaking on behalf of the Southern African Development Community, listed several priorities. Those included capacity- building and institutional-strengthening, comprising a programme of training and education of people about the Convention; strengthening regional early warning systems, such as the Food Security Early Warning System in Zimbabwe; information collection, management and exchange; the transfer of appropriate technology to communities; and the development of alternative sources of energy. The Community was compiling an inventory of regional institutions which would undertake specific activities to implement the Convention. It was establishing a network of media professionals focusing on environmental management, and it was finalizing an environmental education programme to take desertification and other related natural resources concerns to the lowest level of their education systems.

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