17th Session of the Committee for the Review of the Implementation of the Convention (CRIC 17) of the UNCCD

The seventeenth session of the Committee for the Review of the Implementation of the Convention (CRIC 17) of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), will be held at the Arthur Chung Conference Center (ACCC) from 28 to 30 January 2019 in Georgetown, Guyana.

CRIC17 will review the first global assessment of land degradation based on Earth observation data reported by governments. The assessment, which was conducted by reporting countries using a harmonized approach, shows the trends in land degradation between 2000 to 2015 based on data provided by145 of the 197 countries that are party to the Convention.

The assessment is expected to provide the baseline for assessing progress in the reduction or reversal of land degradation globally, going forward. It will also contribute to country efforts to achieve land degradation neutrality (LDN), which is Sustainable Development Goal target 15.3.

This is a significant step in the global effort to address land degradation. A survey conducted in 2009 revealed that countries were using a combined total of 1,500 unique indicators to monitor land degradation globally, making it difficult to get a clear picture of the scope of the problem.

CRIC17 will also conduct interactive dialogues on three related emerging issues: the gender action plan as a tool to improve the living conditions of the people affected by land degradation; new and innovative sources to finance initiatives to combat land degradation; and the progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goal target on land degradation neutrality, for which the Convention plays a lead role.

At the end of the session, CRIC17 will propose recommendations that will be consideration by its governing body, the Conference of the Parties (COP), which will meet in Fall 2019. CRIC meets once in between the sessions of the COP to review country reports submitted in compliance with the COP decisions.

The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification came into effect in 1994. During the last Conference of the Parties it adopted the 2018-2030 Strategic Framework with five goals: to improve the condition of ecosystem affected by land degradation;

The Soil Leadership Academy, which is a part-sponsor of CRIC 17, will hold a training fair on the issues of drought, gender, land degradation neutrality and sand and dust storms, back-to-back with CRIC 17.