About United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD):

Mandate

The permanent secretariat of the Convention was established in Article 23 of the UNCCD. It has been located in Bonn, Germany since January 1999.

In line with Article 23 of the UNCCD, the key function of the secretariat is to service the sessions of the COP and its subsidiary bodies. This includes a multitude of tasks, ranging from the preparation of substantive documentation to logistical arrangements for the sessions.

The new UNCCD 2018-2030 Strategic Framework is the most comprehensive global commitment to achieve Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) in order to restore the productivity of vast expanses of degraded land, improve the livelihoods of more than 1.3 billion people, and reduce the impacts of drought on vulnerable populations. The successful implementation of this strategy requires the continued strong core servicing advocacy, agenda-setting and representation functions of the UNCCD secretariat with commensurate capacity and resources in order to support Parties, the COP and the subsidiary bodies of the Convention in fulfilling their respective roles.

Role of the secretariat

The overall aim of the secretariat is to service the COP and its subsidiary bodies in a manner that enables well-founded decision-making and successful action in advancing the implementation of the UNCCD. Particular attention is paid to

(a) Increasing the political momentum: Active promotion of the UNCCD, notably by linking scientific findings with political decision-making, supports a growing global commitment to halt land degradation and rehabilitate already degraded land.

(b) Moving to meet global targets: Efforts toward national/regional land degradation neutrality and recognition of the critical role of land and soil in climate change adaptation and mitigation are essential factors for meeting the global development agenda that is summarized in the Sustainable Development Goals.

(c) Improving conditions for national implementation: Access to information, up-scaling of good practices, and opportunities for capacity-building are critical for progress in implementing the UNCCD at national level.

In order to efficiently carry out its tasks, the secretariat will build and further strengthen partnerships with programmes and institutions that have proven capacities in the areas covered by the UNCCD.