SECRETARIAT OF THE CONVENTION TO COMBAT DESERTIFICATION
SECRETARIAT DE LA CONVENTION SUR LA LUTTE CONTRE LA DESERTIFICATION
Statement by
Mr. Luc Gnacadja
Executive Secretary
United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification
on the occasion of the
Fourth GEF Assembly
Punta del Este, Uruguay,
25 May 2010
(Please check against delivery)
UNCCD
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Chair of the Assembly,
Madame Monique Barbut, Co-Chair and CEO of the GEF,
Ministers,
Distinguished delegates,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Permit me first to express my sincere appreciation to the Government
and the People of Uruguay for hosting the GEF Assembly in this city
of Punta del Este, a very beautiful city, with excellent facilities, all
wrapped in such a warm hospitality extended to all of us.
I salute all Ministers and heads of delegations present here to review
and evaluate the GEF general policies, its operations and its
membership.
I also look forward to this Assembly to adopting the proposed
amendment of the GEF instrument to reflect the role that the GEF
plays in the implementation of the UNCCD as its financial
mechanism, in accordance with the decisions taken some years ago by
the governing bodies of GEF and UNCCD.
Chairperson, Ministers, Distinguished delegates, Ladies and
Gentlemen,
In a pattern I built when I took over the helm of the UNCCD
secretariat, I identified eight global policy challenges that the
implementation of this Convention can effectively address through
sustainable land and water management. I titled it “the role of land in
delivering global benefits”. Those challenges are: poverty alleviation;
food security; drought and water stress; climate change in terms of
adaptation, mitigation and resilience building; biodiversity
conservation; avoided deforestation; bio energies; and avoiding forced
migrations.
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During the GEF fifth Replenishment process, I brought this analysis
to the attention of the GEF constituencies and donors. While I
welcome the positive outcome of the said replenishment process, it is
also rewarding to see that they heeded my call in that they increased
the envelope to be allocated to land degradation, albeit modestly.
Due to decades of neglect, land degradation has become a resource
hungry focal area. Bearing in mind that GEF resources are of catalytic
nature, co-funding has been a major challenge. I therefore call on
what is known to be the “demand side” to give the land agenda at
country level the priority it deserves in the development strategic
platform in order to secure the required co-funding.
In this respect, allow me to straightforwardly pose the following
question: Who can offer effective protection of the atmosphere or
biodiversity or international waters or even forests without addressing
soil protection or land reclamation? Further, unless we encroach on
forests, I do not see how this planet will feed its population in the
years to come without rehabilitating the degraded land.
Sustainable land and water management is the alternative.
I take this opportunity to praise the GEF leadership for its strategic
vision by developing a programmatic approach in terms of the
management of natural resources in an integrated fashion that will
also enhance the SLM agenda as land provides a win-win context
where synergetic approaches, at both national and regional level yield
multiple benefits.
I therefore invite country Parties to UNCCD to develop land
degradation projects, shifting from a stand-alone perspective to a
comprehensive programmatic approach. This is consistent with GEF
focal area strategies, this is consistent with the spirit and the letter of
the UNCCD Ten-Year Strategy, and this constitutes one of the best
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avenues to compensate the relatively modest envelop allocated to land
degradation. I invite the GEF to assist in developing capacities to
enable affected countries to make that move which has already
registered successes in a number of countries.
Chairperson, Ministers, Distinguished delegates, Ladies and
Gentlemen
The fourth Assembly of the GEF takes place in an international
context marked by strong currents rocking sustainable development
boat to shift to low carbon economies. Seen as pathways to
sustainable development and poverty eradication, green economies
will pass by greening the land and using it to address global
challenges and crises.
In this respect, GEF investments in sustainable land management are
poised to become a winner. During this GEF-5, they will fund
activities to address the complex interacting drivers of terrestrial
ecosystem degradation and their impacts on functions and services
that underpin environmental sustainability. They will contribute to
improving living conditions of populations affected by desertification,
land degradation and drought. They will contribute to generating
global benefits, the main raison d’être of the GEF.
In short, in supporting the implementation of the Ten-Year Strategy
adopted by Parties to UNCCD, the GEF investments will yield high
value and quick returns. I therefore call on political leaders to
consider addressing land degradation as a priority issue so as to
mainstream it into national development policies and frameworks.
Thank you for your attention.