Beijing International Conference on Women and Desertification

Highlighting the important role of women in implementing the UNCCD

Beijing, China
29 May - 1 June 2006

The UNCCD Secretariat, together with the governments of Algeria, China and Italy, will hold an international meeting on the role of women in combating desertification, one of several major conferences taking place to mark the 2006 International Year of Deserts and Desertification (IYDD).

The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) breaks new ground by enshrining a bottom-up approach in tackling desertification, which specifically underlines “the important role played by women”. The importance of the issue was also highlighted by the choice of Women and Desertification as the 2005 theme to celebrate the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought.

Beijing also hosted the Fourth World Conference on Women held in 1995, which recognized that women are most affected by the impact of environmental degradation.

Experts in the fields of gender issues and sustainable development and representatives of civil society will come together with high-level country representatives and other eminent personalities to share experiences and seek ways of empowering women as a powerful means to counter land degradation and rural poverty.

» Beijing Statement

Conference documents

Agenda

English | French | Chinese
Spanish

Information note

English | French | Spanish
Chinese

UNCCD Related
Documents

» Women of the Earth:
Nurturing the future