Rio De Janiero,Brazil 12 September, 2024- United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) Focal Points have gathered at the Regional Preparatory Meeting for Latin America and the Caribbean, held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, ahead of the 16th Conference of the Parties (COP16) to the UNCCD to be held in December.
These meetings are important as they provide a platform for Parties to exchange views and hold discussion on key issues ahead of the 16th Session of the Conference of the Parties. These sessions include discussions on COP Decision requiring adoption at the COP, presentations from the UNCCD secretariat, the Global Mechanism, Civil Society Organizations and the host country for the COP, Saudi Arabia on preparations for the Meetings. The meeting will be held over two days and gives the Countries the opportunity to bring to the discussion issues which impact the unique and peculiar vulnerabilities of the Caribbean.
Focal Points will be ensuring a collective position is supported on the pervasive regional issues specifically in the areas of Droughts and sand and dust storms to ensure they are recoded and included in the final statement of the Group of Latin America and Caribbean countries.
The Region is also hoping to obtain representation on the different bodies that oversee the work of the Convention.
