National Conference on the implementation of the UNCCD in Ghana

The meeting which was jointly organized by the UNDP, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Global Mechanism of UNCCD and the Canadian International Agency (CIDA) was held on June 16th, 2005.

The rationale for the meeting was for the donor community to provide resources for the implementation of NAP which was completely formulated in April 2002; donors needed to first know the status of UNCCD implementation by the Government. The consultative meeting was meant to provide a forum for the government to update the development partners on NAP implementation and to share information on the critical gaps that need to be supported.

Furthermore, it was to provide an opportunity for development partners and donors to familiarize themselves with what each partner is involved in with regard to UNCCD implementation. Where applicable, information was provided on scope and time-frames of these programmes. The meeting took stock of these ongoing programmes and initiatives, identified gaps, and developed plans that will help fill in the gaps. More importantly the meeting was to come up with a roadmap on the way forward as well as make recommendations and try to secure commitment from development partners in support of UNCCD and NAP implementation that proposes a timeframe for the implementation of this support.

Present at the meeting was Christophe Bahuet , Resident Representative (a.i.) of UNDP, who delivered a speech on the negative effects of desertification and the problem it poses to the development agendas of the various donor agencies. He also noted that environmental issues are developmental challenges that must be addressed and mainstreamed into the policies and agendas of the government.

Statements were also made by the Honourable Minister of Environment and Science, the Canadian High Commissioner in Ghana and the managing director of the Global Mechanism of the UNCCD. They all gave insights into effects of desertification and how it eventually cripples the agricultural sector's outputs. They also encouraged government to mainstream environment issues into the GPRS and activities aimed at achieving the MDGs.

The meeting was divided into sessions which were aimed the achieving the ultimate objectives of the workshop, they were:

Overview of the status and efforts to address land degradation and desertification in Ghana .

It was expected that at the end of the meeting the following objectives will be achieved:

•  to facilitate information exchange and consultations amongst government and development partners on sustainable land management issues as it relates to the UNCCD.

•  to take stock of ongoing activities by the government and development partners towards NAP and UNCCD implementation.

•  to identify areas of interventions by different partners and to strengthen partnership arrangements for promotion of sustainable land management in the country, step up efforts towards the effective coordination of resources, and mobilize additional resources towards the implementation of the UNCCD.