Sectors like forestry and landscape restoration as well as cross-cutting sectors such as trade need to be addressed through programmatic approaches that include governance and institution building.

As a panellist on a thematic discussion on land - organized by the GM's cooperation partner, the International Land Coalition (ILC) - Christian Mersmann proposed ways of integrating SLM into country development frameworks. He also discussed instruments to effectively use national budget allocation frameworks and the international community’s decentralized aid mechanisms to finance UNCCD implementation. He underlined that the existing knowledge gap between line ministries such as environment and finance on new and innovative approaches to increase financial flows for SLM must be bridged as a matter of priority.

In many developing countries, options for funding SLM through a variety of financing sources are currently increasing due to the political priority setting in adaptation to climate change and mitigation through SLM. In this context, Christian Mersmann explained the potential of these new financing sources in changing the future role of small-scale subsistence farmers, if they can be provided with an entry-point onto the global market where they can offer environmental services to their respective countries and the international community supporting climate change adaptation and mitigation. Considering the scale of investments envisaged, this would also greatly impact on the role of subsistence farmers in the macroeconomic development of developing countries.

During the first week of CSD-16, the GM organized a ‘Learning Centre’ event to share its experiences in developing integrated financing strategies (IFS) to implement the UNCCD. The IFS serves as a guiding framework for locating and developing a blend of financial resources, from internal, external and innovative sources, to fund SLM-related programmes and projects. During the process of developing the IFS, barriers to resource identification, allocation, and disbursement emanating from the policy, fiscal, legal, institutional, and human resource environments are identified, and recommendations are made for overcoming them. During the event, the GM presented key issues, and gave the example of an innovative financing initiative related to wine production, as a part of its recent work in Lebanon.

The experience and lessons learnt on IFSs were shared at the CSD Partnership Fair through a panel contribution on strategic partnerships between governments, the private sector, NGOs and the international community to increase finance for SLM, including the need for:

• long-term approaches and commitments;
• institutional buy-in;
• innovative approaches; and
• linkages with sectors and actors traditionally not seen as investors in land management.

By the end of the first week, participants acknowledged that a radical shift in approach and a demonstration of clear political will by all stakeholders, at national and international levels, was needed to provide effective measures against land degradation, desertification and drought, particularly in rural areas, and their role in mitigating the harmful effects of and adapting to climate change.

The discussions over the course of the first week will now inform the High Level Segment of Ministers on 14-16 May and the CSD-17 Policy Session in May 2009, on the same themes. The process is expected to culminate in the adoption of recommendations at CSD-17 in 2009 to guide countries’ efforts towards achieving sustainable development.