As part of the initiatives envisaged to celebrate the International Year of Deserts and Desertification (IYDD), the UNCCD Secretariat, in close cooperation with the Government of Mali and with the support of the Governments of Finland, Germany and Italy is organizing an International Conference in Bamako, Mali, from September 4-6th, focusing on "Youth and Desertification", a theme that is placed high on the agenda of the Convention within the context of participatory approaches. Here is the agenda of the conference.
The main objective of the conference is to encourage countries most affected by desertification and land degradation to give priority to creating youth employment as a matter of national urgency, with job creation mainstreamed into macroeconomic and sectoral (agriculture, industry, services and labour) policies, by offering concrete cases of challenges and opportunities for youth in drylands.
Members of DCG Mali are planning to participate in this conference and will then be able to report back to the rest of DCG.
More updated information on this conference is posted on the IYDD website: www.iydd.org.