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Iraq Becomes a Party to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification
26/08/10 - Today, Iraq becomes the 194th Party to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, UNCCD, 90 days after depositing its instrument of accession. This raises the UNCCD membership to 194 Parties, comprising 193 states and the European Community.
The Convention entered into force on 26 December 1996, 90 days after the deposit of the fiftieth instrument of ratification. Subsequently, every country or regional organization that accedes, ratifies or accepts the Convention waits 90 days for its instrument to take effect, and then becomes a party.
The UNCCD came out of the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, also known as the Rio Earth Summit. The Convention has brought attention to land degradation among the most vulnerable populations and in the most fragile ecosystems of the world. Among the three Rio Conventions that include the Conventions on the Conservation of Biological Diversity and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, the UNCCD is increasingly recognized as critical to the achievement of sustainable development through its direct contribution to poverty reduction. The UNCCD is also the first development Convention.
Note to journalists: For further information, see http://www.unccd.int or contact the press office at: press(at)unccd.int.
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