The Convention to Combat Desertification: Lessons Learned for Sustainable Development

Abstract

The 1994 UN Convention to Combat Desertification is considered to be the first "sustainable development" treaty because it considers economic and social development needs while also addressing a serious environmental problem. The challenge during the negotiations was to ensure that the convention addressed socioeconomic concerns without losing sight of its mandate to combat desertification in those countries experiencing serious drought and/or desertification, particularly in Africa. This article examines how delegates grappled with the multifaceted causes of desertification within the context of sustainable development, which is viewed quite differently by developed and developing countries, and identifies some lessons that can be applied to future negotiations. These lessons address the difficulty of incorporating the cross-sectoral nature of environmental issues in a legally binding instrument, implementing the goals of sustainable development within the context of current North-South relations, and working under the principle of "common but differentiated responsibilities" for global environmental degradation.