INTERGOVERNMENTAL NEGOTIATING COMMITTEE FOR ANTI-DESERTIFICATION CONVENTION ADOPTS PROGRAMME OF WORK, AS TENTH SESSION BEGINS
Press Release
ENV/DEV/393
INTERGOVERNMENTAL NEGOTIATING COMMITTEE FOR ANTI-DESERTIFICATION CONVENTION ADOPTS PROGRAMME OF WORK, AS TENTH SESSION BEGINS
19970106 The Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee for the Elaboration of an International Convention to Combat Desertification began its tenth session this morning with the adoption of the agenda and programme of work for the two-week session.In his opening remarks the Committee Chairman, Bo Kjellen (Sweden), noted that the Convention had entered into force on 26 December 1996, after Chad deposited the fiftieth instrument of ratification.
He said the work programme for the current session gave maximum attention to the Global Mechanism, which was established by the Convention to promote actions leading to the mobilization and channelling of financial resources to affected developing country parties to the treaty. Matters related to the Mechanism would be discussed by working group I. Therefore, he proposed that working group II, which had a lighter workload, should begin its work on Thursday, 9 January, instead of Wednesday, 8 January.
The Executive Secretary of the Interim Secretariat of the Convention, Hama Arba Diallo, said that, as of 2 January, 58 countries had deposited instruments of ratification, and two additional countries were expected to do so by the end of the week.
In addition, the Chairman announced that tomorrow the Committee will elect a new Vice-Chairman to replace René Valéry Mongbé (Benin). The other officers of the Committee, as elected in previous sessions, are as follows: Alok Jain (India) and José Urrutia (Peru), Vice-Chairmen; and Anatoli M. Ovchinnikov (Uzbekistan).
For the current session, the agenda of the Committee -- known formally as the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee for the Elaboration of an International Convention to Combat Desertification in Those Countries Experiencing Serious Drought and/or Desertification, Particularly in Africa -- include preparation for the first session of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention, to be held from 29 September to 10 October in Rome.
Desertification Committee - 2 - Press Release ENV/DEV/393 1st Meeting (AM) 6 January 1997
In addition, the Committee will also attempt to finalize arrangements for the Global Mechanism, including the criteria for selecting an institution to house it. It will consider the designation of the permanent secretariat of the Convention, as well as the selection of its permanent headquarters, which Canada, Germany and Spain have offered to host. Other matters include scientific and technical cooperation and the rules of procedure for the first session of the Conference of the Parties. (For background information on the session, see Press Release ENV/DEV/392 of 3 January.)
The Committee will meet again at 3 p.m. on Tuesday, 7 January, to hear introductory statements.
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