Obligations
There are four principal
categories of obligation under the
terms of the UNCCD and its regional
implementation annexes:
- The common obligation
of all Parties, including those unaffected
by desertification, are spelled out
mainly in articles 3, 4, 12, 14, 16,
17, 18, 19 and 20. They relate principally
to international cooperation in implementing
the CCD at all levels, particularly
in the areas of the collection, analysis
and exchange of information, research,
technology transfer, capacity building
and awareness building, the promotion
of an integrated approach in developing
national strategies to combat desertification,
and assistance in ensuring that adequate
financial resources are available
for programmes to combat desertification
and mitigate the effects of drought.
- Country Parties
affected by desertification in Africa,
Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean,
and the Northern Mediterranean undertake
to prepare national action programmes
and to cooperate at the regional and
sub-regional levels.
- Other affected
country Parties have the option of
preparing action programmes following
Convention guidelines, or more generally
of establishing strategies and priorities
for combating desertification.
- Developed country
Parties have, under article 6, article
20 and other articles, specific obligations
to support affected countries (particularly
but not exclusively affected developing
countries) by providing financial
resources and by facilitating access
to appropriate technology, knowledge
and know-how.
- Parties are obligated
(article 26) to report on measures
they have taken to implement the Convention.
Parties which have prepared National
Action Programmes are obliged under
article 10 to provide regular progress
reports on their implementation.
Article 5
of the UNCCD: Obligations of the Affected
Developing Country Parties
Give due priority
to combating desertification and mitigating
the effects of drought.
· Establish strategies and
priorities within the framework of
sustainable development.
· Address underlying causes
of desertification and particularly
to the socio-economic factors contributing
to the desertification process.
· Promote awareness and facilitate
the participation of local populations,
particularly the women and youth,
non-governmental organisations, in
efforts to combat desertification
and mitigate the effects of drought.
· Provide an enabling environment
by strengthening the relevant existing
legislation, enacting new laws, where
they do not exist, and establish long-term
policies and action programmes.
All affected country
Parties shall prepare a National Action
Programme, utilising and building
to the extent possible, on existing
relevant plans and programmes and
sub-regional and regional action programmes,
as the central element of strategy
to combat desertification and drought.
Article 6:
Obligations of Developed Country Parties
· Providing
substantial financial resources.
· Promote the mobilisation
of new and additional funding.
· Promote and facilitate to
appropriate technology and know-how.
These include providing
substantial financial resources, promote
the mobilisation of new and additional
funding, and promote and facilitate
to appropriate technology and know-how.
It is important to note that as per
Article 9 of Annex-4 of the CCD, the
affected Developed Country Parties
are not eligible for support under
the Convention.
Article 4
of the Annex II, Regional Implementation
Annex for Asia
National action programmes
1. In preparing and implementing national
action programmes, the affected country
Parties of the region, consistent
with their respective circumstances
and policies, may, inter alia, as
appropriate:
(a) Designate appropriate
bodies responsible for the preparation,
coordination and implementation of
their action programmes;
(b) Involve affected populations,
including local communities, in the
elaboration, coordination and implementation
of their action programmes through
locally driven consultative process,
with the cooperation of local authorities
and relevant national and non- governmental
organizations;
(c) Survey the state of the environment
in affected areas to assess the causes
and consequences of desertification
and to determine priority areas for
action;
(d) Evaluate, with the participation
of affected populations, past and
current programmes for combating desertification
and mitigating the effects of drought,
in order to design a strategy and
elaborate activities in their action
programmes;
(e) Prepare technical and financial
programmes based on the information
derived from the activities in subparagraphs
(a) to (d);
(f) Develop and utilize procedures
and benchmarks for evaluating implementation
of their action programmes;
(g) Promote the integrated management
of drainage basins, the conservation
of soil resources, and the enhancement
and efficient use of water resources;
(h) Strengthen and/or establish information,
evaluation and follow up and early
warning systems in regions prone to
desertification and drought, taking
account of climatological, meteorological,
hydrological, biological and other
relevant factors; and
(i) Formulate in a spirit of partnership,
where international cooperation, including
financial and technical resources,
is involved, appropriate arrangements
supporting their action programmes.
2. Consistent with
article 10 of the Convention, the
overall strategy of national action
programmes shall emphasize integrated
local development programmes for affected
areas, based on participatory mechanisms
and on the integration of strategies
for poverty eradication into efforts
to combat desertification and mitigate
the effects of drought. Sectoral measures
in the action programmes shall be
grouped in priority fields which take
account of the broad diversity of
affected areas in the region referred
to in article 2 (a).
The Government of Bangladesh (GoB)
signed the convention (UNCCD) in 1994
and ratified in January 1996. By ratifying
the convention the country became
a party to it. The Convention came
into force in 1997.
