French I Russian I Uzbek
Central
Asia to host first-ever meeting of the UN treaty
on desertification,
land degradation and
drought
21st
Committee to Review the Implementation of the
Convention (CRIC21) meeting in Samarkand,
Uzbekistan, 13-17 November
2023.
Bonn/Samarkand,
09/11/2023 - The twenty-first session of
the Committee for the Review of the Implementation
of the Convention (CRIC 21) to the UN Convention
to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) will be held in
Samarkand, Uzbekistan from 13-17 November
2023.
CRIC21
will bring together an estimated 500 delegates
from 196 countries and the European Union, civil
society, and academia to reflect on progress in
delivering the Convention’s strategic objectives.
It marks the first time UNCCD convenes one of its
most significant meetings in Central Asia, since
its establishment.
This
meeting comes at a critical juncture, as recent
data launched by UNCCD shows that the world is
losing nearly 100 million hectares of healthy and
productive land every year. If current trends
continue, 1.5 billion hectares of land will need
to be restored by 2030 to achieve land degradation
neutrality around the globe. But, halting
additional degradation and accelerating existing
commitments alone could surpass the neutrality
target.
UNCCD
Executive Secretary Ibrahim Thiaw said:
“Droughts, wildfires and heatwaves we have
witnessed around the world are the symptoms of the
deepening and interlinked climate and nature
crises, with land at the heart of both. Since
2015, some 4 million square kilometres of healthy
and productive lands have been lost—an area
roughly the size of Central Asia. We must urgently
stop further land degradation and restore at least
1 billion hectares to meet global land targets by
2030.”
CRIC21
will be held at the Silk Road Samarkand
Congress Centre. Parties will have the
opportunity to review progress and provide
recommendations towards achieving global targets
to prevent and reverse land degradation, in line
with the 2018-2030 UNCCD strategic and
implementation frameworks.
Among
the highlights of the CRIC21
programme:
- Opening
plenary on 13 November from 10:00-13:00
with introductory statements from the
Chair of the CRIC, the UNCCD Executive Secretary
and the representative of the Government of
Uzbekistan.
- UNCCD
Gender Caucus on 14 and 16
November from 13:00-15:00 will convene
international experts to discuss women’s land
rights as a prerequisite to the success of
global land restoration and drought resilience
efforts.
- A
high-level political event on Sand and
Dust Storms hosted by the government of
Uzbekistan will be held on 15 November
from 10:00-13:00. In recent years, sand
and dust storms have increased in both frequency
and severity in both Uzbekistan and surrounding
countries.
- For
the first time, more
than 30 side events will be
organized at CRIC21. These events provide the
informal opportunity for parties and accredited
observer organizations to exchange information
and experiences on diverse issues related to the
objectives of the Convention.
Press
briefings will be held throughout CRIC21 between
13:00-15:00 local time,
including:
- 13
November: Focus on Central Asia: global
and regional trends on desertification, land
degradation and drought with UNCCD Chief
Scientist, Dr Barron Orr, and Programme Officer,
Science, Technology and Innovation Unit, Ms Olga
Andreeva (TBC).
- 14
November: Her Land. Her Rights: global
and regional efforts to advance women’s land
rights and their engagement in land restoration
and drought resilience efforts with UNCCD and
regional experts (TBC).
- 15
November: Sand and Dust Storms: the
latest data on this growing phenomenon with
UNCCD and regional experts, as well as the
outcomes of the high-level event hosted by the
Government of Uzbekistan.
- 17
November: Closing press conference: an
overview of the key outcomes of CRIC21 with Mr
Ibrahim Thiaw, UNCCD Executive Secretary, Ms.
Biljana Kilibarda, Chair of the CRIC, and Mr
Aziz Abdukhakimov, Uzbek Minister of Ecology,
Environmental Protection and Climate
Change.
Notes
to Editors
Accredited
media representatives are invited to attend and
report on CRIC21 and associated events. Field
visits where journalists can see land restoration
and drought resilience projects will take place
immediately before and after
CRIC21.
Daily
highlights of CRIC21 will be provided by the IISD
Earth Negotiations Bulletin: https://enb.iisd.org/unccd-committee-review-implementation-convention-c…
Side
events schedule is available here: https://www.unccd.int/sites/default/files/2023-10/Side%20Events%20CRIC21.pdf
Visual
assets about CRIC21 and the UNCCD Data Dashboard
are available here: https://trello.com/b/zq0kxtkK/unccd-cric21-samarkand-uzb-2023
Online
registration for media representatives is
available at the following link: www.unccd.int/cric-21-online-registration.
To
register, please provide the following
documents:
- One
recent passport-sized photograph
- A
valid press card
- A
copy (picture and signature pages) of your
passport (for foreign journalists) or national
identity card (for local
applicants)
- A
letter of introduction from the bureau chief or
company sponsoring your travel to the session.
For freelance journalists, a letter is required
from the media organization assigning you to
cover the conference
- A
duly completed accreditation form
Journalists
who register online will be able to collect their
accreditation at the Silk Road Samarkand Congress
Center on presentation of a valid press card and
an identity document.
For
more information on the regulations governing visa
applications and the introduction of reporting
material into Uzbekistan, please consult the
following link: https://e-visa.gov.uz/main_
For
inquiries about media accreditation or coverage of
the event, please contact: pr...@unccd.int
A
dedicated press and media working space will be
available at the conference
venue.
Additional
information and media updates on the Convention
and CRIC 21 will be available on the UNCCD
website: https://www.unccd.int/cric21
