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Article 4
General obligations
1. The Parties shall implement their obligations under this Convention, individually or jointly, either through existing or prospective
bilateral and multilateral arrangements or a combination thereof, as appropriate, emphasizing the need to coordinate efforts and
develop a coherent long-term strategy at all levels.
2. In pursuing the objective of this Convention, the Parties shall:
(a) adopt an integrated approach addressing the physical, biological and socio-economic aspects of the processes of
desertification and drought;
(b) give due attention, within the relevant international and regional bodies, to the situation of affected developing country Parties
with regard to international trade, marketing arrangements and debt with a view to establishing an enabling international
economic environment conducive to the promotion of sustainable development;
(c) integrate strategies for poverty eradication into efforts to combat desertification and mitigate the effects of drought;
(d) promote cooperation among affected country Parties in the fields of environmental protection and the conservation of land and
water resources, as they relate to desertification and drought;
(e) strengthen subregional, regional and international cooperation;
(f) cooperate within relevant intergovernmental organizations;
(g) determine institutional mechanisms, if appropriate, keeping in mind the need to avoid duplication; and
(h) promote the use of existing bilateral and multilateral financial mechanisms and arrangements that mobilize and channel
substantial financial resources to affected developing country Parties in combating desertification and mitigating the effects of
drought.
3. Affected developing country Parties are eligible for assistance in the implementation of the Convention.
Article 5
Obligations of affected country Parties
In addition to their obligations pursuant to article 4, affected country Parties undertake to:
(a) give due priority to combating desertification and mitigating the effects of drought, and allocate adequate resources in
accordance with their circumstances and capabilities;
(b) establish strategies and priorities, within the framework of sustainable development plans and/or policies, to combat
desertification and mitigate the effects of drought;
(c) address the underlying causes of desertification and pay special attention to the socio- economic factors contributing to
desertification processes;
(d) promote awareness and facilitate the participation of local populations, particularly women and youth, with the support of
non-governmental organizations, in efforts to combat desertification and mitigate the effects of drought; and
(e) provide an enabling environment by strengthening, as appropriate, relevant existing legislation and, where they do not exist,
enacting new laws and establishing long-term policies and action programmes.
Article 8
Relationship with other conventions
1. The Parties shall encourage the coordination of activities carried out under this Convention and, if they are Parties to them,
under other relevant international agreements, particularly the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the
Convention on Biological Diversity, in order to derive maximum benefit from activities under each agreement while avoiding
duplication of effort. The Parties shall encourage the conduct of joint programmes, particularly in the fields of research, training,
systematic observation and information collection and exchange, to the extent that such activities may contribute to achieving the
objectives of the agreements concerned.
2. The provisions of this Convention shall not affect the rights and obligations of any Party deriving from a bilateral, regional or
international agreement into which it has entered prior to the entry into force of this Convention for it.
Article 9
Basic approach
1. In carrying out their obligations pursuant to article 5, affected developing country Parties and any other affected country Party in
the framework of its regional implementation annex or, otherwise, that has notified the Permanent Secretariat in writing of its
intention to prepare a national action programme, shall, as appropriate, prepare, make public and implement national action
programmes, utilizing and building, to the extent possible, on existing relevant successful plans and programmes, and
subregional and regional action programmes, as the central element of the strategy to combat desertification and mitigate the
effects of drought. Such programmes shall be updated through a continuing participatory process on the basis of lessons from
field action, as well as the results of research. The preparation of national action programmes shall be closely interlinked with
other efforts to formulate national policies for sustainable development.
2. In the provision by developed country Parties of different forms of assistance under the terms of article 6, priority shall be given
to supporting, as agreed, national, subregional and regional action programmes of affected developing country Parties,
particularly those in Africa, either directly or through relevant multilateral organizations or both.
3. The Parties shall encourage organs, funds and programmes of the United Nations system and other relevant
intergovernmental organizations, academic institutions, the scientific community and non-governmental organizations in a
position to cooperate, in accordance with their mandates and capabilities, to support the elaboration, implementation and
follow-up of action programmes.
Article 10
National action programmes
1. The purpose of national action programmes is to identify the factors contributing to desertification and practical measures
necessary to combat desertification and mitigate the effects of drought.
2. National action programmes shall specify the respective roles of government, local communities and land users and the
resources available and needed. They shall, inter alia:
(a) incorporate long-term strategies to combat desertification and mitigate the effects of drought, emphasize implementation and
be integrated with national policies for sustainable development;
(b) allow for modifications to be made in response to changing circumstances and be sufficiently flexible at the local level to cope
with different socio-economic, biological and geo-physical conditions;
(c) give particular attention to the implementation of preventive measures for lands that are not yet degraded or which are only
slightly degraded;
(d) enhance national climatological, meteorological and hydrological capabilities and the means to provide for drought early
warning;
(e) promote policies and strengthen institutional frameworks which develop cooperation and coordination, in a spirit of
partnership, between the donor community, governments at all levels, local populations and community groups, and facilitate
access by local populations to appropriate information and technology;
(f) provide for effective participation at the local, national and regional levels of non- governmental organizations and local
populations, both women and men, particularly resource users, including farmers and pastoralists and their representative
organizations, in policy planning, decision-making, and implementation and review of national action programmes; and
(g) require regular review of, and progress reports on, their implementation.
3. National action programmes may include, inter alia, some or all of the following measures to prepare for and mitigate the
effects of drought:
(a) establishment and/or strengthening, as appropriate, of early warning systems, including local and national facilities and joint
systems at the subregional and regional levels, and mechanisms for assisting environmentally displaced persons;
(b) strengthening of drought preparedness and management, including drought contingency plans at the local, national,
subregional and regional levels, which take into consideration seasonal to interannual climate predictions;
(c) establishment and/or strengthening, as appropriate, of food security systems, including storage and marketing facilities,
particularly in rural areas;
(d) establishment of alternative livelihood projects that could provide incomes in drought prone areas; and
(e) development of sustainable irrigation programmes for both crops and livestock.
4. Taking into account the circumstances and requirements specific to each affected country Party, national action programmes
include, as appropriate, inter alia, measures in some or all of the following priority fields as they relate to combating desertification
and mitigating the effects of drought in affected areas and to their populations: promotion of alternative livelihoods and
improvement of national economic environments with a view to strengthening programmes aimed at the eradication of poverty
and at ensuring food security; demographic dynamics; sustainable management of natural resources; sustainable agricultural
practices; development and efficient use of various energy sources; institutional and legal frameworks; strengthening of
capabilities for assessment and systematic observation, including hydrological and meteorological services, and capacity
building, education and public awareness.
Article 11
Subregional and regional action programmes
Affected country Parties shall consult and cooperate to prepare, as appropriate, in accordance with relevant regional
implementation annexes, subregional and/or regional action programmes to harmonize, complement and increase the efficiency
of national programmes. The provisions of article 10 shall apply mutatis mutandis to subregional and regional programmes.
Such cooperation may include agreed joint programmes for the sustainable management of transboundary natural resources,
scientific and technical cooperation, and strengthening of relevant institutions.
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