Rio Conventions Pavilion at the Rio+20 Conference (Athletes? Park)

World Day to Combat Desertification Global Observance Event

Securing Healthy Soils and Stopping Land Degradation:
Outcomes for Rio+20

17 June 2012

Tentative programme

Morning session: 11:00-12:30

10.30-11:00 Coffee and tea

11:00-11:10 Welcome address
 H.E. Ms Izabella Teixeira, State Minister of Environment, Brazil
11:10-11.20 Opening remarks on the global observance of the World Day to Combat Desertification
 Mr. Luc Gnacadja, Executive Secretary, UNCCD
11:20-12:30 High-level Round-talk by Heads of Agency: What sustainable land and soil management can do to achieve the Millennium Development Goals

Chair: H.E. Mr. Don Ko Lee, Minister, Korea Forest Service, Republic of Korea

 Mr. Luc Gnacadja, Executive Secretary, UNCCD
 Mr. Michel Jarraud, Secretary-General, World Meteorological Organization
 Ms. Monique Barbut, CEO, Global Environment Facility
 Mr. Kanayo Nwanze, President, International Fund for Agricultural Development
 Ms. Jan McAlpine, Director, UN Forum on Forest
 Mr. Braulio Ferreira de Souza Dias, Executive Secretary, Convention on Biological Diversity
 Mr. Alexander Mueller, Natural Resources Department, Food and Agriculture Organizations of the United Nations
 Mr. Karl Falkenberg, Director-General, Environment Directorate-General, European Commission
 Mr. Jochen Flasbarth, President, German Federal Environment Agency (UBA)

12:30-13:30 Lunch (served in the Pavilion)

Afternoon session: 13:30-18:00

13:30-14:50

Interactive panel session 1: Toward a Zero Net Land and Soil Degradation World
Moderator Mr. Jochen Flasbarth, President, UBA
 The need for target setting towards Zero Net Land and Soil Degradation
 H.E. Mr. Don Ko Lee, Minister, Korea Forest Service, UNCCD COP10 President
 The role of science in achieving Zero Net Land and Soil Degradation
 Prof. Antonio Magalhaes, Chair, UNCCD Committee on Science and Technology, UNCCD CST10 Chair
 Conceptual reflection of Zero Net Land and Soil Degradation
 Mr. Dennis Garrity, Executive board member, World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF), UNCCD Drylands Ambassador
 UNDP?s Integrated Drylands Development Programme -A vehicle to help meet the zero net land degradation target
 Ms. Veerle Vandeweerd, Director, Environment & Energy Group, United Nations Development Programme
 Global Drylands Land Alliance for achieving Zero Net Land and Soil Degradation
 Mr. Fahad Bin Mohammed Al-Attiya, Chairman Qatar National Food Security Programme (tbc)

Discussion
 Discussants: Mr. Craig Hanson, Director, People and Ecosystems Program, World Resources Institute; Prof. Ben Boer, Research Institute of Environmental Law, Wuhan University and Emeritus Professor, Australian Centre for Environmental Law, University of Sydney

14:50-15:00 Coffee break

15:00-16:20 Interactive panel session 2: Global Soil Partnership
Moderator Mr. Luca Marmo, Environment Directorate-General, European Commission
 Soils, a basis for life
 H.E. Mr. Manuel Gerardo Pedro Pulgar-Vidal Otálora, Minister of Environment, Peru
 Why soils require attention and recognition? The Global Soil Partnership
 Mr. Parviz Koohafkan, Director, Land and Water Division, FAO
 Soil in the Decision making processes, the experience of Uruguay
 Mr. Carlos Clérici, Director Soils and Water Division, Ministry of Livestock, Agriculture and Fisheries, Uruguay
 Links between Global Soil Biodiversity Initiative and GSP
 Ms. Diana Wall, Colorado State University
 Soils, basis of development in Chile
 Mr. Eugenio Gonzalez, Executive Director CIREN, Chile

Discussion
Discussants: Mr. Alexander Mueller, ADG Natural Resources Department FAO, Mr. Moises Quispe Quispe, Asociacion Nacional de Productores Ecologicos del Peru; Mr. Luca Montanarella, EC-JRC

16:20-17:40 Interactive panel session 3: Economics of Land Degradation
Moderator Mr. Sergio Zelaya, Coordinator, Policy for Advocacy on Global Issues, UNCCD

 South Africa?s effort in achieving green economy through sustainable land management
 H.E. Ms. Edna Molewa, Ministry of Environment, South Africa
 Economics of Land Degradation
 Mr. Ibrahim Thiaw, Director Division of Env. Policy Implementation, United Nations Environment Programme
 Business Community?s Response to Economics of Land Degradation
 Mr. Kook-Hyun Moon, Chair, Sustainable Land Management Business Forum
 Soil fertility, clean water and climate change: the role of soil organic matter and the World Atlas of Desertification
 Mr. Luca Montanarella, SOIL Action Leader, Joint Research Centre, European Commission

Discussion
Discussants: Mr. Andre Leu, President, International Foundation for Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM); Mr Julien Dominic Publio Dias, Cervejaria Grupo Petropolis Brazil

17:40-18:00 Closing and summary of the daytime session
Moderator: Ronald Vargas, Soils and Land Management Officer, Land and Water Division in Natural Resources Management and Environment Department, FAO

Moderators of the three panel sessions summarize his respective session
[Panel 1] Mr. Jochen Flasbarth, UBA
[Panel 2] Mr. Luca Marmo, Environment Directorate-General, EC
[Panel 3] Mr. Sergio Zelaya, UNCCD


Evening reception: 18:00-19:00
Global observance of the World Day to Combat Desertification

18:00-19:00
Announcement of the Land for Life Award with the participation of Miss Universe Leila Lopez, Drylands Ambassador
 Remarks on the Award selection
 H.E. Mr. Don Koo Lee, Minister, Korea Forest Service, UNCCD COP10 President
 H.E. Mr. Dirk Niebel, Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development, Germany (tbc)
 Mr. Wang Wenbiao, CEO, Elion Group
 Mr. Luc Gnacadja, Executive Secretary, UNCCD

Master of ceremony: Yukie Hori, Coordinator, Awareness Raising, Communication and Education, UNCCD


Partners and Sponsors:

Economics of Land Degradation Secretariat, GIZ/BMZ
European Commission
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
German Federal Environment Agency (UBA)
Korea Forest Service
United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification
United Nations Development Programme, Drylands Development Centre
Hutchinson Group (for event organization)

More Information