Guyana to host United Nations forum on desertification in 2019
DPI, Guyana, Thursday, July 5, 2018
Guyana will host the 17th Session of the Committee for the Review of the Implementation of the Convention (CRIC) on Desertification in January 2019.
State Minister Joseph Harmon today said 196 representatives are expected to participate in CRIC 17, which will review the implementation of the United Nations (UN) Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD).
This is the first time an event of this nature will be hosted in the Caribbean and Guyana is expected to benefit in a number of ways. These include improving the country’s capacity to manage land degradation issues “and support national efforts to sustainably utilise our land space,” Minister Harmon he said.
Further, the State Minister said it will enhance our capacity to host international forums and allows the country to demonstrate support and solidarity with countries that face the threat of desertification.
Desertification is the process by which fertile land becomes desert, typically as a result of drought, deforestation, or inappropriate agriculture, with estimates showing that nearly one-fifth of the world’s land is threatened.
By: Stacy Carmichael.
Editor’s Note: The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) is a Convention to combat desertification and mitigate the effects of drought through national action programmes that incorporate long-term strategies supported by international cooperation and partnership arrangements.