The Conference of the Parties,
Recalling articles 3, 6, 9, 10, 13, 14, 19, 20, 21 and 22 of the Convention,
Also recalling decisions 5/COP.9, 5/COP.10, 5/COP.11, 5/COP.12, 5/COP.13 and 5/COP.14,
Welcoming the celebration of the open dialogue sessions organized by the civil society organizations as part of the official agenda of the fifteenth session of the Conference of the Parties,
Also welcoming the organization of the youth and gender caucus meetings organized on the sidelines of the fifteenth session of the Conference of the Parties, giving an opportunity to those that are more affected by desertification/land degradation and drought to provide inputs to the decision-making process,
1. Encourages those countries with no or few civil society organizations accredited to the Conference of the Parties to promote the involvement of their organizations in the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification process at the international level to ensure more balanced participation of civil society organizations in the sessions of the Conference of the Parties and its subsidiary bodies, particularly civil society organizations working with people in vulnerable situations, including Indigenous peoples and local communities, people living in rural areas, women, youth, and persons with disabilities;
2. Requests the secretariat to continue working with the key stakeholders, including Indigenous peoples, local community organizations, youth, farmers organizations, pastoral organizations, women’s organizations, persons with disabilities, local governments and parliamentarians;
3. Also requests the secretariat to improve access to information on the accreditation process for civil society organizations;
4. Further requests the secretariat to develop a youth engagement strategy and the modalities for its implementation to ensure stronger, effective and meaningful participation of youth in the meetings and processes of the Convention, subject to the availability of resources;
5. Requests the Executive Secretary to facilitate the renewal of the membership of the Civil Society Organization Panel until the next Conference of the Parties starting immediately after fifteenth session of the Conference of the Parties, in accordance with previous decisions;
6. Encourages developed country Parties, international and financial organizations, civil society organizations and private sector institutions, in a position to do so, to consider contributing substantially and promptly to the Supplementary Fund and Special Fund of the Convention with the aim of ensuring wider participation of civil society organizations in meetings and processes of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification as well as in the work undertaken by the Civil Society Organization Panel;
7. Requests the Civil Society Organization Panel, through the secretariat, to report on its activities to the Conference of the Parties at its next session;
8. Also requests the secretariat to report at the sixteenth session of the Conference of the Parties on the implementation of this decision.
