Remarks by Ambassador Daniel Carmon
Deputy Permanent Representative of Israel to the United Nations

International Conference on Combating Desertification

22-24 January 2008
Beijing, China

Mr. Chairman,
Distinguished Ministers, Vice-Ministers, Ambassadors,
Excellencies,
Members of the International Community,
Ladies and Gentlemen, Dear delegates,

It is my honour and privilege to represent the State of Israel at the Beijing International Conference on Combating Desertification.
 
At the outset, I wish to thank our gracious hosts, the Chinese government, in particular the Chinese Premier who honoured us with his presence, Minister Jia of the State Forestry Ministry, and H.E. Mr. Sha and the entire United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs for all their efforts in preparation of this conference.

Allow me to also extend my appreciation to the Chairman of the CSD-16, Minister Nhema, and Mr. Luc Gnacadja, Executive-Secretary of the UNCCD, for all their good work in combating desertification and promoting sustainable development. 

I am particularly proud to address you today, which, in the Jewish calendar, is Tu Bishvat, the 15 day of the month of Shevat. This day marks the “New Year of trees and plants”. According to the Israeli tradition, a yearly nationwide festival of tree planting, especially by school children takes place on this day. This is a relatively simple way, among others, to make our desert flourish.

China, a world leader in dryland afforestation as a means to combat desertification, has thus arranged to have this important conference, precisely on Israel’s national day of afforestation. Thank you for this.   

As one of the most affected countries by desertification, China has been attaching great importance to combating it. Much has been achieved and we congratulate the Chinese government and people as desertification and sandification are decreasing as a result of counter-measures taken in this country.

But the situation is still the cause of concern for many, in various regions of the world, including in China, and this conference superbly organized by the Chinese authorities, the State Forestry Administration of the People’s Republic of China, the UN Department of Economic and Social Development, with the support of the UNCCD and Beijing Municipal Bureau of Parks and Forests is an important step in our common goal. 

Mr. Chairman,

Human history documents the extraordinary accomplishments of ancient civilizations and their efforts to adapt and thrive in the often harsh climactic conditions of Asia and the Middle East. Some of these civilizations, by developing impressive water management systems and other agricultural technologies, sustained prosperous economies. Others, however, were not as successful, and instead drove the land towards desolation, producing severe land degradation, erosion, and salination.

Thousands of years later, even with great technological advancement, many regions around the globe face the same challenges as the ancient civilizations of yore. Yet unlike the civilizations of the past who competed against one another for survival, today, there is an understanding of our common fate and cause. The resolve of Member States to cooperate in areas like development and climate change, where warming of the planet has led to a scarcity of resources and more land has become uninhabitable, means that the international community recognizes it can only proceed forward in partnership.

Mr. Chairman,

Since its establishment in 1948, the State of Israel has embraced the issue of sustainable land management, as well as the drive to initiate public policies designed to restore, develop, and manage dry lands. These efforts have resulted in the emergence of a modern state that serves as a unique living laboratory for development technologies. It is therefore no surprise that combating desertification and exploring the challenges of dryland living top Israel’s development agenda.

In this regard, two major issues continue to be of crucial importance: desert agriculture and afforestation. Israel has developed a comprehensive approach that includes focusing on water harvesting systems, rainfall catchments, soil erosion prevention, and gully control.

In agriculture, Israel focuses on the development of high value crops irrigated with brackish or recycled waste water, which conserves fresh water supply and resources. In terms of afforestation, our national policies and scientific research focus on species selection, site preparation techniques, and plantation management. Forestry growth helps to combat desertification, as well as provide venues for public recreation and enhancing the environment. 

By investing in prevention of desertification rather than in combating already prevailing conditions, by stressing science and technology, but at the same time respecting indigenous knowledge, and by adopting the bottom-up approach in training and technology transfer, Israel has acted as a party to the Convention to Combat Desertification, even many years before the term “desertification” was coined, and before the negotiations on the Desertification Convention had even begun.

In this respect, I would like to acknowledge the presence here, this morning, of a world renowned expert on the issue at stake, Dr. Uriel Safriel, from Israel. Dr. Safriel, our representative to the Convention, will be moderating, later today, an important thematic session on “Ecosystem Challenges of Desertification: Barriers and Constraints”.

Mr. Chairman,

The State of Israel - which will celebrate its 60th anniversary this coming May 2008 - proudly offers this know-how to other Member States who share the challenges of desertification. In November 2006, representatives from over 30 countries gathered in Israel for a meeting of the Euro-Med parties to the UNCCD, a sign of Israel’s recognized leadership in combating desertification. Today, Israeli experts and scientists, along with their counterparts around the world, continue to work together to promote the well-being and sustainability of our planet.

This year, Israel will also celebrate the 50th anniversary of MASHAV - the Centre for International Cooperation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the State of Israel - whose aim is to create partnerships for development. As one example, in December 2007, MASHAV held a workshop organized in conjunction with DESA on combating desertification and drought and promoting sustainable development. More than 50 participants, from developing countries in Africa and Asia, local officials, and the United Nations, took part in the four day seminar.

Similarly, the strength of Israel’s international cooperation can be seen in, and indeed is personified by, the growth of the Israel-China relationship over the years. Last year, Israel celebrated 15 years of diplomatic relations with China. Currently, cooperation between the two countries is flourishing in the areas of agriculture, science, culture, and of course economics and commerce. As a sign of China’s importance to us, Prime Minister Olmert visited here last year to lay the cornerstone of the China-Israel Cooperation Center for Modern Dairy Technology. We are very grateful and appreciative for these close relations.   

My friend and colleague, the Ambassador of Israel to China present here this morning, H.E. Mr. Amos Nadai and his devoted team, are seeing to it that those relations will continue to flourish and benefit both our peoples.

On an international level, the recognition of Israel’s contribution to sustainable development was recently highlighted in its election to the Bureau of the 16th session of the Commission on Sustainable Development, which will take place in May this year at the United Nations, in New York. Israel looks forward to the coming CSD-16, and to work with all Member States to advance our understanding and set standards for sustainable development, particularly in the core thematic areas of agriculture, rural development, land, drought, desertification, and Africa.

Lastly, just last month, my delegation to the United Nations presented a resolution to the Second Committee of the General Assembly, adopted with overwhelming support, which called on Member States to commit themselves to supporting the use of local know-how and technology and the promotion of research and technology to increase agricultural productivity and food security in poor rural areas. This resolution - which was the first successfully introduced resolution by Israel on a socio-economic issue at the UN - highlights the global recognition of the importance of this issue. Israel is proud to lead the international community’s efforts. But it is now up to the Member States to implement the resolution.  

Mr. Chairman,

Like so many of the global challenges facing the nations of the world today, the common way forward is best found through partnership and cooperation. Israel, for its part, remains committed to working through the vehicles and venues established, to share its know-how, and cooperate with others, and build new partnerships.

I wish everyone here a most successful and fruitful conference, and hope that our deliberations can be used to advance our efforts to combat desertification, for the betterment of our world and for the betterment of all mankind. 

Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and a happy Chinese New Year to you, and to the trees and plants of the world.