-Roopnaraine reminds delegates ahead of CRIC 17

LOSS of land and natural resources remains a continuous impediment to nations which have to preserve their fresh water sources and build sustainable livelihoods and ecosystems, said Minister of the Public Service, Dr Rupert Roopnaraine.

“It is therefore paramount that we pay attention to these issues and use our skills to strengthen the implementation of the convention,” said Dr Roopnaraine during the launch of a training fair for delegates of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification’s (UNCCD) Committee for the Review of the Implementation of the Convention (CRIC) 17, which officially commences on Monday at the Arthur Chung Convention Centre.

Guyana, as a signatory to the convention, remains committed to protecting its natural resources by turning the country into a ‘green’ State, said the minister, adding that it is important for the nations within the convention to build capacity.

“Capacity building is important for us to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals… It is also important to ensure implementation of UNCCD… in recognising this it is the first time that CARICOM tabled any submission of all parties in more than three decades,” said Minister Roopnaraine.

In line with this, he said government welcomed delegates to assess implementation of the convention by looking at awareness raising; policy and institutional framework; and participation and collaboration.

Approximately 400 to 600 delegates from 196 countries around the world are expected to travel to Georgetown, including UNCCD Executive Secretary, Monique Barbut, and operational units from the UNCCD Secretariat and United Nations offices, UN media operatives, civil society and Inter-Governmental Organisations.

Commissioner of the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission (GL&SC), Trevor Benn, is excited about the conference and encouraged the delegates to push forward in the effort to ensure that there is a sustained future.

Deputy Executive Secretary of the UNCCD, Pradeep Monga, in his remarks, said CRIC 17 is an effort to build the capacity of all partners and institutions which are working in favour of sustainable land management.

He said capacity-building is at the fore of achieving land degradation neutrality and over the next two days, delegates will share their expertise and collaborate to enhance the effort.

According to the UNCCD’s website, 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 harmonised approach, shows the trends in land degradation between 2000 and 2015 based on data provided by145 of the 197 countries that are party to the convention.

According to the UNCCD, 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 under 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.