The 9th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UNCCD (COP9) along with CRIC 8 was held in Buenos Aires, Argentina from September 21st to October 2nd.
This COP also included the first UNCCD Scientific Conference which focused on the following theme: Understanding Desertification and Land Degradation Trends: Biophysical and Socio-economic Monitoring and Assessment of Desertification and Land Degradation to Support Decision-making in Land and Water Management.
The discussions held at COP9 were mostly focused on administrative aspects of the Convention and discussions on substantive issues were nearly completely absent. Fortunately, the first UNCCD Scientific Conference somewhat filled that gap but policy discussions are still highly missing.
A representative from DCG Norway attended COP9 and was also part of the official Norwegian delegation and the European networking initiative on Desertification (eniD). The role of DCG in the delegation was to focus on issues regarding the participation of civil society in the implementation of the Convention. Mateos Mekiso from the Ethiopian Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) also attended the meeting on behalf of DCG Ethiopia.
DCG organized a side-event in collaboration with eniD on the participation of civil society in the implementation of the Convention. The side-event was held right before the plenary was to discuss the issue on the criteria for supporting CSOs in the participation of UNCCD meetings. The side-event started with a few very short presentations on successes of CSO participation. Mr. Mekiso from DCG Ethiopia (EPA) presented DCG’s work related to the UNCCD workshops and trainings. The discussions were followed by different working groups discussing various issues. The results of the discussions held in the working groups were presented to the plenary. A summary of the discussions was made and was used as the background for the NGO intervention in the afternoon plenary on this issue. The side-event concluded that CSOs need to be more proactively engaged in the UNCCD and that we need our own strategy, views, and preparation. We also need to have a good work program with the Secretariat and we should have a road map.
Regarding the participation of CSOs in UNCCD processes, an important document was agreed upon at COP9 including additional requirements that were lobbied for by the Norwegian delegation and the EU. The document can be found here.
The results from COP9 can be found on the UNCCD website: www.unccd.int and information from the various days of the conference can be found here: www.iisd.ca/desert/cop9/