Implementing the UNCCD : Involvement of civil society through a gender based approach

Sergio A. Zelaya

Dubai 18 June 2014

Gender (and youth) in the UNCCD National Reports

Gender finds a noteworthy mention in some of the national reports received by the UNCCD secretariat in 2010.

There are some points that call for discussion: Gender is mostly mentioned within a bigger group of

issues; same with youth Very occasionally they are the prime focus Not been dealt with sufficient in-depth and no target

policies have been proposed

In line with the strategic approach of the UNCCD: Increased

effectiveness of the work of the Secretariat and Parties of the Convention in delivering on the long-term objectives of the 10-Year Strategy.

Concrete deliveries in demonstrating benefits of mainstreaming gender in DLDD/SLM actions at the national and local levels

the Gender Advocacy Policy framework:

ICCD/CRIC.10/20

METHODOLOGY

The Advocacy Policy Framework on Gender (PGF) was developed with the collaboration of IUCN Gender Office, with financial support from Finland and Switzerland, and based on several inputs :

1.The outcomes of the 3-day workshop on the guiding element of the policy. Parties, representatives of civil society organizations and Secretariat staff met in Bonn, Germany (23 - 25 February 2011) at the side-lines of the ninth session of the Committee for the Review of the Implementation of the Convention (CRIC9);2.Exchanges on the current UNCCD performance on gender; Desktop assessment of the references on gender contained in The Strategy and COP decisions;3.A survey conducted among staff of the Secretariat during December 2010 –January 2011 to elicit gender awareness; and4.Global outreach: Comments received over the UNCCD web site on the first draft of the policy framework

Bridging the Gender Gap on gender:Women – and their key roleKey Findings of a FAO study:

Women make up– From 20 % of the agricultural labor force in Latin America to

50% in Eastern Asia and sub Saharan Africa– They are mainly in charge of water collection and production

of staple food– They possess sound traditional knowledge

Unfortunately women have less access than men to productive resources and credit, imposing costs on the agricultural production

and the economy

CONTEXT of the UNCCD APF on GENDER

Closing the gender gap could immediately benefit as much as 100–150 million people

Gender continues to be “one of the world’s strongest markers for disadvantage”

UNCCD COPs: legal mandate: the relevance of gender and youth associated with core aspects of the convention

Value of Mainstreaming Gender

Gender mainstreaming seeks to recognize and bring the diverse roles and needs of women and men to bear on the sustainable development agenda

Gender mainstreaming reduces vulnerability, and enhances the efficiency and effectiveness of programmes, policies and projects

Major donors have recognized the importance and added value of mainstreaming gender in development; this is true also for dry lands

The UNCCD APF on Gender contains targets and actions in four spheres: policy, organizational, citizen and delivery

No Single ENTRY POINT FOR GENDER MAINSTREAMING

In the APF – it is a multi-stakeholder responsibility

Multiple targets must be set up

The UNCCD APF on gender contains 20 targets for gender mainstreaming with actions and indicators for operationalization, spread across the four spheres: policy, organizational, constituency and delivery

POLICY SPHERE TARGETS

Target 1: Gender under DLDD/SLM are strategic priorities of the Convention

Target 2: High-level commitment on gender under DLDD/SLM within the

Secretariat is secured

Target 3: Commitments from cooperation partners on gender and

DLDD/SLM ready

Target 4: System in place for gender-screening

Target 5: Active involvement of women in decision-making and research

Target 6: Rio Conventions have a shared roadmap to promote gender

equality

ORGANIZATIONAL SPHERE TARGETS

Target 7: Establishment of a structure within the UNCCD Secretariat to

support gender mainstreaming

Target 8: UNCCD Secretariat recruitments advance on gender balance

Target 9: Managers and staff members held accountable for gender

mainstreaming

Target 10: Secretariat staff have the competency to mainstream gender

effectively

CITIZEN SPHERETARGETS

Target 11: Enable continuous, coordinated and effective input from women to decision-making under the UNCCD, at the global and national levels

Target 12: Build partnerships & establish networks to foster gender mainstreaming

Target 13: Programmatically link the APF with the UN System’s action on gender

Target 14: UNCCD Parties recognize the traditional & indigenous knowledge of women as fundamental assets in combating DLDD

Target 15: Increase women’s and youth representation in national coordinating bodies

Target 16: Parties and stakeholders effectively mainstream gender in national and regional implementation of the Convention

TARGETS OF THE DELIVERY SPHERE

Target 17: Gender mainstreamed in NAP alignment process (SRAPs and RAPs)

Target 18: Gender issues included in the progress indicators and reports

Target 19: Gender-sensitive communication involve key constituencies

Target 20: Build understanding of DLDD/SLM among gender and women’s / youth organizations

LDN and gender options With Decision 8, COP11 Parties established an Intergovernmental Working Group on Land Degradation Neutrality to guide on its definition, options for achieving it and implications for the convention.

UNCCD implications:

• Strategic Plan 2019-2028: Parties encouraged to adopt a target-setting approach consistent with the SDG framework

• National Action Programmes (NAPs): Parties encouraged to integrate relevant elements of the SDG framework into the NAPs (Gender?). Similarly, the reporting process could be used to monitor progress

• Resource Mobilization: Parties encouraged to show progress on the SDGs framework, to attract funding and investment; synergies included

Recommendations to Parties

At the UNCCD meetings (regional, global) to acknowledge gender mainstreaming and youth involvement as necessary elements for UNCCD implementation

Consider, based on the APF on gender and on the work of the IWG on LDN, reporting on implementation and the benefits of successful cases and existing opportunities

The adoption of revised procedures for participation of gender-specific CSOs at COPs and other meetings

To address LDN at next COP by 1) adopting SLM practices for DLDD prevention and for restoration of

degraded lands;

2) To foster land/soil content under the SDGs using LDN (inputs to ongoing negotiations towards the post-2015 development agenda);

3) Use monitoring tools, mobilize and create synergy with other UN & international institutions, CSOs and private, to collaborate on common goals, one of which is the gender and youth issue

Thank youWWW.UNCCD.INT

Gender Advocacy Policy framework:

ICCD/CRIC(10)/20IWG on Land Degradation Neutrality:ICCD/COP(11)/8