United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification 6

United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification

 

Article 23

Permanent Secretariat

1. A Permanent Secretariat is hereby established.

2. The functions of the Permanent Secretariat shall be:

(a) to make arrangements for sessions of the Conference of the Parties
and its subsidiary bodies established under the Convention and to provide them
with services as required;

(b) to compile and transmit reports submitted to it;

(c) to facilitate assistance to affected developing country Parties,
on request, particularly those in Africa, in the compilation and communication
of information required under the Convention;

(d) to coordinate its activities with the secretariats of other
relevant international bodies and conventions;

(e) to enter, under the guidance of the Conference of the Parties,
into such administrative and contractual arrangements as may be required for
the effective discharge of its functions;

(f) to prepare reports on the execution of its functions under this
Convention and present them to the Conference of the Parties; and

(g) to perform such other secretariat functions as may be determined
by the Conference of the Parties.

3. The Conference of the Parties, at its first session, shall
designate a Permanent Secretariat and make arrangements for its functioning.

Article 24

Committee on Science and Technology

1. A Committee on Science and Technology is hereby established as a
subsidiary body of the Conference of the Parties to provide it with
information and advice on scientific and technological matters relating to
combating desertification and mitigating the effects of drought. The
Committee shall meet in conjunction with the ordinary sessions of the
Conference of the Parties and shall be multidisciplinary and open to the
participation of all Parties. It shall be composed of government
representatives competent in the relevant fields of expertise. The Conference
of the Parties shall decide, at its first session, on the terms of reference
of the Committee.

2. The Conference of the Parties shall establish and maintain a
roster of independent experts with expertise and experience in the relevant
fields. The roster shall be based on nominations received in writing from the
Parties, taking into account the need for a multidisciplinary approach and
broad geographical representation.

3. The Conference of the Parties may, as necessary, appoint ad hoc
panels to provide it, through the Committee, with information and advice on
specific issues regarding the state of the art in fields of science and
technology relevant to combating desertification and mitigating the effects of
drought. These panels shall be composed of experts whose names are taken from
the roster, taking into account the need for a multidisciplinary approach and
broad geographical representation. These experts shall have scientific
backgrounds and field experience and shall be appointed by the Conference of
the Parties on the recommendation of the Committee. The Conference of the
Parties shall decide on the terms of reference and the modalities of work of
these panels.

Article 25

Networking of institutions, agencies and bodies

1. The Committee on Science and Technology shall, under the
supervision of the Conference of the Parties, make provision for the
undertaking of a survey and evaluation of the relevant existing networks,
institutions, agencies and bodies willing to become units of a network. Such
a network shall support the implementation of the Convention.

2. On the basis of the results of the survey and evaluation referred
to in paragraph 1, the Committee on Science and Technology shall make
recommendations to the Conference of the Parties on ways and means to
facilitate and strengthen networking of the units at the local, national and
other levels, with a view to ensuring that the thematic needs set out in
articles 16 to 19 are addressed.

3. Taking into account these recommendations, the Conference of the
Parties shall:

(a) identify those national, subregional, regional and international
units that are most appropriate for networking, and recommend operational
procedures, and a time frame, for them; and

(b) identify the units best suited to facilitating and strengthening
such networking at all levels.

PART V

PROCEDURES

Article 26

Communication of information

1. Each Party shall communicate to the Conference of the Parties for
consideration at its ordinary sessions, through the Permanent Secretariat,
reports on the measures which it has taken for the implementation of the
Convention. The Conference of the Parties shall determine the timetable for
submission and the format of such reports.

2. Affected country Parties shall provide a description of the
strategies established pursuant to article 5 and of any relevant information
on their implementation.

3. Affected country Parties which implement action programmes
pursuant to articles 9 to 15 shall provide a detailed description of the
programmes and of their implementation.

4. Any group of affected country Parties may make a joint
communication on measures taken at the subregional and/or regional levels in
the framework of action programmes.

5. Developed country Parties shall report on measures taken to assist
in the preparation and implementation of action programmes, including
information on the financial resources they have provided, or are providing,
under the Convention.

6. Information communicated pursuant to paragraphs 1 to 4 shall be
transmitted by the Permanent Secretariat as soon as possible to the Conference
of the Parties and to any relevant subsidiary body.

7. The Conference of the Parties shall facilitate the provision to
affected developing countries, particularly those in Africa, on request, of
technical and financial support in compiling and communicating information in
accordance with this article, as well as identifying the technical and
financial needs associated with action programmes.

 

Conclusion

Notes

See Also

References and Further Reading

About the Author/s and Reviewer/s

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