The Conference of the Parties,
Recalling decision 4/COP.13, Noting that the UNCCD 2018−2030 Strategic Framework recognizes awarenessraising as a key element that can play a central role in addressing desertification/land degradation and drought,
Recognizing the importance of promoting consistent and coordinated messages about the objective of the Convention as well as on land degradation neutrality and drought issues, including as an accelerator for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals,
Aware of the additional opportunity for cooperation, coordination and synergies in the work related to ecosystem restoration among relevant United Nations entities through the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (2021–2030), Welcoming the development and implementation of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification communication plan, as reported in document ICCD/COP(14)/4,
1. Calls for Parties and invites civil society organizations, the media, the private sector and all other relevant stakeholders to leverage international awareness-raising opportunities such as the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought, the United Nations Decade for Deserts and the Fight against Desertification (2010–2020) and the Land for Life programme for outreach, including to women, girls and youth, around actions to combat desertification/land degradation and drought, and achieve land degradation neutrality and drought resilience;
2. Encourages Parties to consider identifying key audiences in order to most effectively leverage outreach around action to combat desertification/land degradation and drought and to achieve land degradation neutrality;
3. Invites Parties to raise public awareness and promote youth engagement on United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification issues by linking them to other sustainable development challenges, underlining the pivotal role of productive land in implementing the Convention and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, while addressing gender equality and women’s empowerment as an integral part of these messages;
4. Also invites Parties to actively support the implementation of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification communication plan by providing the secretariat success stories, people-focused stories and photo/video footage from the field as a means of promoting the Convention in order to foster understanding, awareness and visibility among the public by adapting United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification communications to local and national contexts or by hosting the global observance of the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought;
5. Requests the secretariat, subject to the availability of resources, to:
(a) Review the communication plan and base it on the UNCCD 2018–2030 Strategic Framework in its entirety;
(b) Identify key audiences, such as policy-makers, line ministries in charge of land-based sectors, the private sector, the farmer community and pastoralists, and propose relevant options for increasing awareness about the objectives of the Convention in support of its implementation, taking into account particular national and regional conditions;
(c) Build on experience in the observance of the United Nations Decade for Deserts and the Fight against Desertification (2010–2020) to actively contribute to the implementation of the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (2021–2030) by identifying and developing possible activities, as appropriate;
(d) Enhance media engagement and develop partnerships with media organizations to expand outreach to non-English speaking audiences and achieve broader geographic reach and information dissemination;
(e) Raise the profile of United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification outreach programmes and products, such as the Land for Life Programme, the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification Land Ambassador Programme and the Rio Conventions Pavilion and exhibition, in partnership with other Rio conventions, and library services;
(f) Maximize the traditional and social media outreach potential by developing new multimedia content based on scientific and technical data from the Global Land Outlook, the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services Assessment Report on Land Degradation and Restoration, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Special Report on Climate Change and Land, and other major scientific assessments, as well as the performance review and assessment of implementation reports submitted to the Committee for the Review of the Implementation of the Convention and other success stories;
(g) Build communications capacity for appropriate staff of the secretariat and the Global Mechanism in order to strengthen support for the communication activities;
6. Also requests the secretariat to report to the Conference of the Parties at its fifteenth session on progress made in implementing the present decision.
