Appendix - Resolution on urgent action for Africa
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The Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee for the Elaboration of an International Convention to Combat Desertification in those Countries Experiencing Serious Drought and/or Desertification, particularly in Africa.
Having adopted the text of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in those Countries Experiencing Serious Drought and/or Desertification, particularly in Africa,
Considering the priority given to Africa in the Convention and the need for urgent measures to be taken during the period between the adoption of the Convention and the first meeting of the Conference of the Parties, consistent with the objectives of the Convention,
Considering the significant activities already being undertaken by affected African countries with the support of the international community, consistent with the objectives of the Convention,
Considering further the desirability of initiating without delay the implementation of further measures consistent with the objectives of the Convention in and with the affected African countries and of continuing to pursue or strengthen, where necessary, such measures where they are already in place,
Acknowledging with appreciation the preparatory and ongoing work carried out by affected African countries and the assistance provided by a number of countries, by multilateral organizations, including the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the United Nations Development Programme/United Nations Sahelian Office (UNDP/UNSO), the African Development Bank (ADB), and intergovernmental organizations, including the Organization of African Unity (OAU), the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and nongovernmental organizations.
1. Encourages all countries to disseminate information and promote education and public awareness about the objectives of the Convention;
2. Invites the affected African countries to take urgent steps, in particular, to prepare national and subregional action programmes or, where action programmes exist, such as National Environmental Action Plans, to review and improve them, if necessary, and implement them, consistent with the objectives of the Convention;
3. Invites the developed countries to provide support to the affected African countries in such actions, including those in capacity-building;
4. Invites international and multilateral organizations, particularly UNDP, including UNSO, UNEP, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (Unesco) and the World Bank, to provide support and mobilize necessary for the implementation of the present resolution;
5. Invites African sub-regional and regional organizations, particularly the Organization of African Unity (OAU), the Permanent Inter-State Committee for Drought Control in the Sahel (CILSS), the Preferential Trade Area (PTA), the Intergovernmental Authority on Drought and Development (IGADD), the Southern African Development Community (SADC), the Arab Maghreb Union (UMA), the African Development Bank (ADB) and the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), to provide support for the implementation of this resolution;
6. Invites private-sector organizations, including relevant non-governmental organizations, to provide support and mobilize necessary resources for such actions by the affected African countries;
7. Recommends that the affected African countries designate coordinating bodies at the national and subregional levels, if necessary, and at the regional level for the implementation of this resolution;
8. Recommends, as priority, the establishment, at national and sub-regional levels, in the affected African countries, of partnership arrangements with the relevant developed countries, intergovernmental regional economic organizations, non-governmental organizations and representatives of the affected local populations to facilitate the coordination of activities, to be initiated by the individual African country concerned;
9. Recommends also that such partnership arrangement should inter alia:
10. Invites the developed countries and the international and multilateral organizations, agencies and programmes to provide enabling funds to support the partnership arrangements referred to in paragraph 7 above;
11. Invites the affected African countries to provide information at the time of signing the Convention, on the actions that they have taken or propose to take, during the interim period, for the implementation of this resolution;
12. Invites the developed countries, sub-regional, regional, international multilateral organizations and United Nations agencies and programmes as well as those countries that may provide assistance on a voluntary basis, to provide information, at the time of signing the Convention, on the actions that they have taken or propose to take, including the provision of financial and other resources, during the interim period, for the implementation of the present resolution;
13. Invites also the affected African countries to propose, as appropriate, additional measures to be taken at the sub-regional and regional levels in support of national actions;
14. Requests the interim secretariat to the Convention to facilitate the implementation of the present resolution, consistent with the responsibilities allocated to it by the resolution of the Committee concerning interim arrangements;
15. Invites those countries that are members of relevant United Nations agencies and programmes and regional or multilateral financial institutions to bring to the attention of those institutions the content of the present resolution and promote their support for it.