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Note on the support of the UNCCD Secretariat for NEPAD Programmes
and Projects in 2005
The potential of the United Nations Convention
to Combat desertification (UNCCD) to contribute to the achievement
of the Millennium Development Goals, in particular that of
halving the number of people living in poverty by 2015, has
been recognized by the international community (WSSD 2002).
In this regard, particular attention has been given to the
integration of UNCCD action programmes to combat desertification
into sustainable development frameworks, policies and programmes
of African countries, including NEPAD. So far, 33 countries
have finalized their Action Programmes, and the remaining
countries are planning to do so in the course of this year.
In addition, 4 subregional action programmes are under implementation,
and the fifth will be adopted before the end of 2006. The
regional action programme is also in the process of formulation.
The UNCCD secretariat was requested by African
countries to promote relevant policies and to provide the
necessary framework for activities towards combating desertification
in the framework of the New Partnership for Africa's Development
(NEPAD). In this regard, the secretariat, in collaboration
with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), facilitated
consultative meetings, which provided representatives of African
countries and sub regional organizations with an opportunity
to review the process for formulation of proposals to combat
desertification in the context of NEPAD. The overall objective
of these consultations was to review and finalize the project
proposals identified to combat desertification. The secretariat
also assisted the African countries in finalizing the action
plan for the NEPAD Environment Initiative, which emphasizes
that the effort to combat desertification is a critical component
in the eradication of poverty in the vast majority of African
countries.
As a follow up to the partners conference
on the implementation of the Action Plan of the environment
initiative of the NEPAD (Algiers, Algeria 15 -16 December,
2003), the Secretariat has facilitated the development of
an initiative to support the implementation of priority activities
to combat desertification in Africa. Through this initiative
the government of Italy has pledged one (1) million USD.
The Secretariat has also strengthened its
partnership with the African Development Bank, which has demonstrated
great interest in supporting action programmes to combat desertification
following the adoption of the Action Plan of the Environment
initiative of NEPAD. In collaboration with the relevant sub
regional organizations (CILSS/ECOWAS; SADC; UMA; CEMAC-UDEAC;
IGAD) as well as UNEP, WMO, the GEF, ICRISAT; the Islamic
Development Bank, bilateral partners such as Italy and the
United Arab Emirates, the Secretariat is currently facilitating
the development and implementation of number of priority activities
as identified in the respective subregions and included in
the Action Plan.
During 2005 the UNCCD Secretariat continued
to support the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD),
in particular in actively participating in the second Partnership
Conference for the implementation of the Action Plan of the
Environment initiative held in Dakar, Senegal in March 2005.
In addition, NEPAD has become a key partner
in TerrAfrica (http://www.terrafrica.org), a multi-partner
initiative aiming to increase the scale, efficiency and effectiveness
of investments towards sustainable land management (SLM) in
sub-Saharan Africa. Other partners are the UNCCD Secretariat,
the World Bank, the Global Mechanism of the UNCCD, GEF, IFAD,
FAO, UNDP, UNEP, AfDB as well as multilateral organizations.
TerrAfrica was officially launched, in parallel, at NEPAD's
Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP).
retreat in Pretoria and during the high level segment of COP
7 in October 2005.
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