UN Entities
- Secretariat of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD):
https://www.unccd.int/
UN Treaties and Declarations
- United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in Countries Experiencing Serious Drought and/or Desertification, Particularly in Africa:
https://www.unccd.int/convention/about-convention
Sustainable Development Goal 15: Sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, halt and reverse land degradation, halt biodiversity loss
http://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/biodiversity/
https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/sdg15
https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/topics/desertificationlanddegradationanddrought
UN Conferences and Observances
- Fourteenth session of the Conference of the Parties (COP14), New Delhi, India –
7 to 18 October 2019
https://www.unccd.int/conventionconference-parties-cop/cop14-2-13-september-new-delhi-india - United Nations Decade for Deserts and the Fight against Desertification 2010-2020
http://www.un.org/en/events/desertification_decade/
https://www.unccd.int/actions/united-nations-decade-deserts-2010-2020-and-fight-against-desertification - World Day to Combat Desertification – 17 June
http://www.un.org/en/events/desertificationday/
https://www.unccd.int/actions/17-june-world-day-combat-desertification - General Assembly High-level Meeting High-level Meeting on Desertification,
20 September 2011
http://www.un.org/en/ga/desertification2011/ - International Year of Deserts and Desertification, 2006
http://www.iydd.org/
Selected Statements and Speeches of UN Officials
- No time left to lose in addressing climate crisis, Deputy Secretary-General warns leaders at Conference of Desertification Convention Signatories (DSG/SM/1320-ENV/DEV/1976, 9 September 2019): https://www.un.org/press/en/2019/dsgsm1320.doc.htm
- Critical massive effort needed to deliver 2030 Agenda painfully overdue, Deputy Secretary-General tells Desertification Convention Signatories (DSG/SM/1319-ENV/DEV/1975, 9 September 2019): https://www.un.org/press/en/2019/dsgsm1319.doc.htm
- Great Green Wall ‘a beacon of hope’ in effort to turn tide on land degradation, desertification, Deputy Secretary-General tells Conference of Parties (DSG/SM/1318-ENV/DEV/1974, 9 September 2019): https://www.un.org/press/en/2019/dsgsm1318.doc.htm
- Every year, 12 million hectares of productive land lost, Secretary-General tells Desertification Forum, calls for scaled-up restoration efforts, smart policies (SG/SM/19680-ENV/DEV/1973, 27 July 2019): https://www.un.org/press/en/2019/sgsm19680.doc.htm
Further information
- Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
- Action Against Desertification: http://www.fao.org/in-action/action-against-desertification/en/
- Dryland Forestry: http://www.fao.org/dryland-forestry/en/
- UN Development Programme (UNDP) – Nairobi Global Policy Centre on Resilient Ecosystems and Desertification (GC-RED)
http://www.undp.org/content/nairobi-gc-red/en/home.html - UN Environment Programme (UNEP) – Ecosystems and Biodiversity https://www.unenvironment.org/explore-topics/ecosystems
- United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) – Ecological Sciences for Sustainable Development – Drylands: http://www.unesco.org/new/en/natural-sciences/environment/ecological-sciences/specific-ecosystems/drylands/
- Global Environment Facility – Land Degradation
http://www.thegef.org/topics/land-degradation
Selection of Publications available online
- UNCCD Publications: https://www.unccd.int/publications
- Trends in Sustainable Development, 2008-2009: Agriculture, rural development, land, desertification and drought (DESA, 2008): https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/content/documents/30fullreport.pdf
Selected Articles in UN journals
- UNCCD Newsletters: https://www.unccd.int/newsletters
- Our Planet. Volume 17, Number 1, 2006: Deserts and Drylands: https://bit.ly/2NeSoI5
- TUNZA – The UNEP Magazine for Youth. Volume 4, Number 1, 2006: Deserts and Drylands: https://bit.ly/2GxJcy8
February 2020
not an official document – for information only
https://unric.org/en/unric-library-backgrounder-desertification/