REC Caucasus, represented by Ms. Sophiko Akhobadze, participated in an open dialogue session with civil society at the 14th Session of the Conference of the Parties to the UNCCD (COP 14), which took place from 2 to 13 September 2019 at the India Expo Center and Mart in New Delhi, India.
On September 11, 2019, the Conference of the Parties (COP) held the second open dialogue session with civil society, focusing on intergenerational equity, land tenure, food security, green jobs, and migration. The session was organized around two rounds of discussions: inter-generational “testimonies for legacy” aimed at stimulating an exchange between older and younger participants, and learning from civil society initiatives on the ground.
Contact groups met throughout the day and evening, finalizing the bulk of decision texts. The Rio Conventions Pavilion featured Drought Preparedness Day, presenting successes and challenges of current drought tools, methodologies, and policies, and featuring the UNCCD Drought Initiative and other important partnerships and frameworks in this area.
Speaking for Central and Eastern Europe CSOs, Sophiko Akhobadze from the Regional Environmental Center for the Caucasus noted the direct and indirect impacts of migration and highlighted achievements in land restoration, including: organic farming markets organized by small farmers in Moldova; agroforestry initiatives involving hundreds of local farmers, and women-managed small nurseries in Georgia.
In summarizing the discussions, it was noted by participants that migration from rural areas is linked to low income from the agricultural sector, and the following needs were highlighted: direct access to funding for marginalized groups; promoting good practices that draw on traditional knowledge as well as modern technology, and securing access to land for young people and women.
Closing the meeting, it was finally noted that the knowledge of adults and youth has to come together in order to achieve land restoration. It was especially emphasized that the numerous success stories presented by CSOs call for their replication.
More details on the open dialogue session with civil society at the 14th Session of the Conference of the Parties to the UNCCD (COP 14) are available at the following link:
Photo Credits: Photos by IISD/ENB | Ángeles Estrada
