Land degradation, being considered as "Cancer of the Earth", is a serious issue for global ecosystem. According to Ms. Monique Barbut, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), up to 20% of quality land is degraded all over the world annually. In the last 18 months, there have been 20 countries declared the emergency condition due to droughts, and in 2017, there are over 810 million people need food assistance in which drought is the most critical reason causing this issue.
From September 06-16, 2017, the 13th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (COP 13 – UNCCD) took place in Ordos, Inner Mongolia, China. at Ordos, Inner Mongolia, China with the participation of delegates from 196 countries, over 20 international organizations, and around 1.400 participants. Mrs. Vu Thi Bich Hop, Executive Director of SRD and representative of CSOs from Vietnam, was officially invited to attend this high-level conference.
At the conference, 113 countries had agreed to specify concrete targets with clear indicators, to rehabilitate more land and reverse degradation, which currently affects over a third of the world's land resources.
The new UNCCD 2018-2030 Strategic Framework is the most comprehensive global commitment to achieve Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) in order to restore the productivity of vast swathes of degraded land, improve the livelihoods of more than 1.3 billion people, and to reduce the impacts of drought on vulnerable populations.
Along with a wide range of activities, an open dialogue session among UNCCD's delegates and leaders of CSOs sector across the globe was conducted focusing on the theme "Land and Climate". Ms. Monique Barbut, Executive Secretary of UNCCD commented that CSOs are the main actors responsible for implementation of the Convention, since they work closely with local stakeholders and can bridge the flow of knowledge between government and local communities. Mrs. Vu Thi Bich Hop from SRD (Viet Nam), representing the ASIA GROUP, presented the severe damage caused by recent flash floods in India and Viet Nam, and emphasized climate change impacts and land degradation faced by most Asian countries. Presenting on some climate change resilient projects and initiatives implemented in rural Viet Nam by using sustainable livelihoods practices to improve poor people's lives, she recommended the UNCCD includes some NGO best practices into its Strategic Framework and include CSOs in land degradation neutrality (LDN) funding.
SRD is proud of being officially accredited as an observer to the COP-UNCCD by the UNCCD Secretariat in the COP 13 this year, and commits to apply initiatives and practical experience in improving the lives of vulnerable people in Vietnam for sustainable development.
Photo credit: COP13-UNCCD's official website
View of the plenary with Monique Barbut, UNCCD Executive Secretary, making her opening address
Monique Barbut, UNCCD Executive Secretary, delivering her statement to the CSO Open Dialogue Session
Mrs. Vu Thi Bich Hop – SRD and leaders of other CSOs in the Open dialogue session
Participants from the CSO Open Dialogue showing the "The Green Handkerchief Initiative" sign
Video message by António Guterres, UN Secretary-General
View of the roundtable discussions on land degradation
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