Launch of 'UN decade for deserts and the fight against desertification'

To promote actions that will protect the world's drylands from further deterioration and degradation into deserts, the United Nations will launch the Decade for Deserts and the Fight Against Desertification on 16 August 2010. The Decade will be launched during the opening of the 2nd International Conference on Climate, Sustainability and Development in Semi-arid Regions. The Decade of events are spearheaded by the Secretariat of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) in collaboration with the Department of Public Information (DPI) of the UN Secretariat in New York, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), the UN Development Programme (UNDP), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and other relevant UN bodies.