Celebrated world-wide, June 17 marks the anniversary of the adoption of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification. This is part of the UN campaign to tackle global environmental deterioration in particular by combatting the degradation of drylands. This year's theme highlights the social dimensions of desertification: migration and poverty. The impact of global desertification is threatening the livelihoods of some 1.2 billion people who depend on land for most of their needs. More than 135 million people – the equivalent to the population of Germany and France combined - are at risk of being displaced as a consequence of desertification. "Drought and desertification threaten the livelihood of over 1 billion people in more than 110 countries around the world. Every year, an estimated $42 billion in income and 6 million hectares of productive land are being lost because of desertification, land degradation and declining agricultural productivity, and 135 million people who depend primarily on land for their livelihood are at risk of being displaced" says Secretary-General Kofi Annan. UN CCD: UN marks World Day to Combat Desertification http://unccd.int/publicinfo/menu.php Global Mechanism for Desertification http://www.gm-unccd.org/ UNDP: Drylands Development Centre http://www.undp.org/drylands/ IFAD: Desertification as a global problem http://www.ifad.org/pub/desert/scheda1.pdf RIOD - International NGO Network on Desertification http://www.riodccd.org/ ---------------- United Nations A/RES/49/115 General Assembly Distr. GENERAL 19 December 1994 ORIGINAL: ENGLISH -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A/RES/49/115 92nd plenary meeting 19 December 1994 49/115. Observance of World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought The General Assembly, Reaffirming the relevant provisions of chapter 12 of Agenda 21, adopted by the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, Considering that the promotion of action to implement the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in Those Countries Experiencing Serious Drought and/or Desertification, Particularly in Africa, requires public awareness at local, national, subregional, regional and international levels, Acknowledging that desertification and drought are problems of global dimension in that they affect all regions of the world and that joint action by the international community is needed to combat desertification and drought, particularly in Africa, Recognizing the importance and necessity of international cooperation and partnership in combating desertification in those countries experiencing serious drought and/or desertification, particularly in Africa, in accordance with the provisions of the Convention, adopted by the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee in Paris on 17 June 1994, Recognizing also the strong commitment of the international community to implementing the Convention and its regional implementation annexes, 1. Decides to proclaim 17 June World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought, to be observed beginning in 1995; 2. Invites all States to devote the World Day to promoting public awareness through the publication and diffusion of documentaries and the organization of conferences, round-table meetings, seminars and expositions relating to international cooperation to combat desertification and the effects of drought and the implementation of the provisions of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in Those Countries Experiencing Serious Drought and/or Desertification, Particularly in Africa, and its regional implementation annexes; 3. Invites the Secretary-General to make recommendations on ways and means by which the Secretariat could assist Member States, upon their request, in organizing their national activities for the observance of the World Day; 4. Requests the Secretary-General to make the necessary arrangements to ensure the success of the observance by the United Nations of the World Day; 5. Invites all relevant United Nations bodies, within their mandates, and non-governmental organizations to promote World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought.