Introduction by Dr. Stefan Schmitz: In introducing the session, he said that the talk is focussed on marginality, fragility, uncertainty, instability, food security and rural development. Crisis at the horn of Africa but also experiences from all over the world are major issues of worry and of priority to GIZ. He stated that various aspects of national key sectors come together (e.g cultural, political, environmental etc) and need attention by development agencies. Do all these dimentions of fragility interlink or are they independent? We should link evidence base, research base, scientific base etc., with political situations which is what GIZ is doing. Anneke Trux then spoke on the topic “How can UNCCD and other UN Conventions support and enable sustainable land management in fragile systems?” She started by answering the questions; What is a convention? and What does a convention regulate? She explained that a convention is a treaty among different countries, is an internatinoal legal framework, and that even though it is not a law, partners agree to the terms and aims. A convention regulates strategies, obligations, aims and objectives. She emphasized that since conventions are not laws, the commitment of parties is a major obstacle for implementation. Fragile ecosystems are important ecosystems with unique features and resources. These include deserts, semi-arid lands, mountains, wetlands, small islands etc., which mostly transcend national boundaries. She noted that marginal land is different from fragile ecosystems. Marginal is an economic term which refers to land where cost effective production is not possible and can refer to degraded lands, under used lands, abandoned farmlands, wastelands etc. Fragile ecosystems are high priority under the Rio convention if we consider UN conferences. UNFCCC has taken more interest in marine ecosystems of sinks and reservoirs of Green House Gases (GHGs) and fragile ecosyestems in developing countries. Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) focuses on drylands, arid and semi-arid ecosystems as fragile lands and thus are most vulnerable to climate change. Some priority countries considered by GIZ are Mozambique, Niger and Tajikistan which will benefit about 70 million dollars over 5 years. Good news Anneke Trux stated that the convention has made some achievements including; 1. Provision of political consensus of objectives and main action lines. 2. Enhancing investment on sustainable land management in fragile ecosystems. Limitations of the system All is not perfect with the Conventions and how they work and she mentioned some of the limitations are follows; 1. Expectations with regard to national adaptation action plans have mostly not been achieved due to lack of clarity of goals, lack of ownership and lack of mainstreaming. 2. Effectiveness of the conventions are affected by competition between existing national processes whereas land, climate and biodiversity are inseparable on the ground. Reinvestment in Sustainable Land Management in Sub-saharan Africa Annete Trux also noted some efforts that are being made in Sub-saharan Africa to ensure sustainable land management. 1. Great green walls as initiative by African heads of state to combat degradation in a zone spanning from Senegal to Djibouti. This is to create a green belt within the zone as a way of ensuring sustainable land management. 2. There is a new sahel wide program financed by Global Environment Fund (GEF) as finance mechanism for the Rio conventions. This involves both local as well as national projects and also enables the upgrading of the local best practices. 3. Sustainable land management is recognized as a common denominator of most environmental land development goals by heads of state. In conclusion, she opined that sustainable land management is increasingly recognized as a common denominator of most environmental and developmental goals and fast becoming a vital component of programs to meet the global challenges in environmental management. “Conventions provide a legal framework but whether or not they effectively contribute to changes on the ground is an issue of commitment of the partners”. More updates from the GIZ session soon.