The objective of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) is to combat desertification and land degradation, and to mitigate the effects of drought (DLDD) in affected countries around the world, particularly in Africa, through effective action at all levels. Established in 1994, the UNCCD is the sole legally binding international agreement linking environment and development to sustainable land management. In decision 30/COP.13, Parties to the UNCCD adopted the Gender Action Plan (GAP)1 recognizing that all aspects of DLDD have gender dimensions and call to further mainstream gender equality and empowerment of women and girls into desertification/land degradation and drought-related policies and activities, as appropriate, to implement the Convention and the UNCCD 2018−2030 Strategic  Framework.

The Global Mechanism (GM) is an institution of the UNCCD, mandated to assist countries in the mobilization of financial resources from the public and private sector for activities that prevent, control or reverse desertification, land degradation and drought. As the operational arm of the convention, the Global Mechanism supports countries to translate the Convention into action. With the view to increasing the effectiveness and efficiency of existing financial mechanisms, the GM is requested to promote “actions leading to the mobilization and channelling of substantial financial resources, including for the transfer of technology, on a grant, and/or on concessional or other terms, to affected developing country Parties” (Article 21, para. 4, UNCCD). Such actions include a broad range of country-level strategic planning
and implementation efforts.

The Global Mechanism is currently spearheading several initiatives to implement its resources mobilization mandate and respond to Parties’ need for innovative approaches to attain the Convention’s aims, including:
1 https://www.unccd.int/sites/default/files/documents/2018-01/GAP%20ENG%20%20low%20res_0.pdf
(i) Supporting countries in the development of land-based transformative projects and programmes through the provision of technical support to achieve land degradation neutrality (LDN).
(ii) Development of innovative financial initiatives aiming at channelling resources from new public and private funding sources, including through blended finance.
(iii) Development of new integrated approaches to facilitate the financing and implementation of projects contributing to achieve synergies across the objectives of the three Rio Conventions; and
(iv) Strengthening and developing partnerships with a view to facilitate country-level implementation of the Convention.