TEHRAN (Iran News) –The International Conference on Combating Sand and Dust Storms, which was held in Tehran on September 9-10, has called on countries affected by sand and dust storms to forge stronger cooperation in combating the issue of international concern.

Following is the text of the Declaration of the conference released on September 10.

Appreciating the support and participation of various United Nations agencies in the conference,

Recalling the UNGA Resolutions 70/195, 71/219, 72/225, 73/237, 74/226, 75/222, 76/211, 77/171 and 77/294 and UNEA II Resolution 2/21 and 4/10 and WMO Congress Decision Cg-XV/3.3.3.6, and UNESCAP Resolution 72/7, in which Sand and Dust Storms has been acknowledged to be posing a daunting challenge to the sustainable development of affected countries,

Noting the outcomes of meetings and conferences on SDSs held over the last two decades including the “International Conference on Sand and Dust Storms” (July 2017), and the ‘Regional Ministerial Meeting on Environmental Cooperation for a Better Future” (July 2022) in Tehran,

Welcoming with the appreciation of various ongoing initiatives by countries and regional and international entities/organizations, including the UNDESA, UNCCD, UNEP, UNESCAP, FAO, WMO, WHO, UNDP, UN-HABITAT, IOM, and UNDRR to combat sand and dust storms,

Emphasizing that climate change is an important contributor to the occurrence of more extreme weather events especially intensity, frequency, and risk of sand and dust storms,

Welcoming activities of the UN Coalition on Combatting Sand Dust Storms to promote and coordinate a collaborative UN system response to the growing issues of SDSs, ensuring unified and coherent actions including advocacy and funding initiatives,

Recognizing the transboundary nature and negative impacts of Sand and Dust Storms on many countries and regions including those that are far away from their hot spots, and acknowledging that Sand and Dust Storms, which are on the rise in terms of severity and frequency in many parts of the world, are detrimental to human health, agricultural land, livelihoods, aquatic and terrestrial environment, biodiversity loss, infrastructure, and the socio-economic systems, in all affected countries,

Further recognizing that the challenge of Sand and Dust Storms requires concerted and collaborative global, regional, and sub-regional as well as national responses to address this phenomenon and underlining the leading role of the United Nations system in promoting international cooperation and partnerships among countries and relevant stakeholders to combat Sand and Dust Storms,

Acknowledging that adequate access of developing countries, as appropriate, to funding, know-how, and technology is required for building necessary capacities at the national and regional levels

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to adapt to and mitigate the negative impacts of sand and dust storms and recognize the need to enhance the resilience of affected countries.

Declared herewith to:

1. enhance cooperation on mitigating, controlling, and combating Sand and Dust Storms at transboundary, regional and sub-regional, and international levels;

2. exchange and share information and views, knowledge and experiences, best practices and lessons learned, including mitigation of the source, adaptation, and management of the impact, data collection and analysis, and transfer of the most efficient techniques and technologies in combating sand and dust storms;

3. Strengthen scientific and research activities, exchange of data and information, and sharing experiences among academia and early warning centers for effective monitoring, impact-based assessment, and forecasting of Sand and Dust Storms to foster disaster prevention and mitigation through the development of appropriate preparedness and effective response to Sand and dust storms;

4. Build stronger actions through preventive measures and carrying out, and promotion of national, regional, interregional, global, and transboundary cooperation, as well as expansion of plant and forest cover of affected and fragile lands, and forest restoration programs at all levels;

5. Stress the need that combating SDSs should also become an integral part of the Climate Change mitigation and adaptation strategies, and land degradation and eligible for technical and financial support;

6. Further Strengthen national legal and institutional frameworks to share information on Sand and Dust Storms and to raise awareness among the public and policymakers, promote integrated and synergistic actions across various sectors, and foster strengthened cooperation among relevant institutions;

7. Enhance public awareness of the impacts including the cost of Sand and Dust Storms on human health, agriculture, food security, infrastructure, forest, education, transport, energy, and in general socio-economic sectors and the environment and partnerships among relevant stakeholders on mitigation of those impacts;

8. Develop a strategy for global and regional cooperation to address the root causes, risks, and impacts of Sand and Dust Storms and to enhance resilience through sustainable management of natural resources in croplands, rangelands, bare lands, and international/transboundary wetlands and lakes, biosphere reserves as well as rural and urban areas prone to Sand and Dust Storms risks and impacts;

9. Continue dialogue on responding to the issues of Sand and Dust Storms among interested and affected countries in partnership with relevant international bodies and organizations and emphasize organizing similar and regular events, and initiatives also with facilitation, contribution, and support by the United Nations system;

10. Formulate, review, update, and implement global, regional, sub-regional, and national action plans to address sand and dust storms with the support and participation of multilateral funding institutions and the UN system to further assist affected countries in different areas of work, including funding sub-regional and regional projects, and action plans;

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11. Take note of the regional plan of action on sand and dust storms in Asia and the Pacific, (ESCAP/78/12/Add.1) as a strategic framework and reference for countries in other regions including African Region, and the ECO Regional Framework on Disaster Risk Reduction (ECORFDRR) and its roadmap adopted during the 8th ECO Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction in 2021;

12. Support the establishment of a regional trust fund for West Asia to combat sand and dust storms in line with the Tehran Ministerial Declaration of 2022 which will be supported by voluntary contributions of interested countries, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations, major groups, and other donors, private sectors, civil society, and Regional Development Banks, as appropriate, for undertaking the implementation of regional and sub-regional programs and action plans;

13. Underscore the importance of mobilizing technical and financial support from all possible resources, including the relevant United Nations organizations and programs as well as the multilateral funds established under the multilateral environmental agreements such as GEF, GCF, Adaptation Fund, Special Climate Change Fund, LDC Fund, Global Fund, Land Degradation Neutrality Fund – UNCCD and Multilateral Development Banks to assist the developing countries in their efforts to mitigate and cope with the adverse effects of Sand and Dust Storms;

14. Support the establishment, as appropriate, of regional centers/committees/working groups together with a network among affected and interested countries to combat sand and dust storms through capacity building, technical support, and preparation and implementation of regional and sub-regional action plans and projects;

15. Further support the UN coalition with a view to ensuring adequate allocated financial resources for the effective follow-up of decisions on SDSs and support the affected countries in combating SDS;

16. Invite the UN Secretary-General, in line with the GA Resolution A/RES/77/171 to further encourage the United Nations Coalition on Combating Sand and Dust Storms on the need to implement activities as identified by the Coalition’s five working groups, which are knowledge sharing, capacity-building, training, awareness-raising and support for the formulation of national, regional and sub-regional action plans, to mitigate and manage sand and dust storm hazards, and to invite resource partners from the UN and non-UN systems to enhance resource mobilization so as to increase voluntary contributions to the Coalition and its member agencies and strengthening its role to support affected countries specially through implementing regional and sub-regional action plans;

17. Take note of a proposal to establish a regional center/committee/working group for technical cooperation in order to prepare a regional action plan in concerned countries;

18. Also take note of a proposal to work out a convention aimed at adaptation to, mitigating, controlling, and combating sand and dust storms in collaboration with the affected nations and other countries;

19. Invite the Islamic Republic of Iran to transmit this declaration to the UNGA and UN ECOSOC for their consideration and appropriate actions;

20. Express our deepest gratitude to the Government and people of the Islamic Republic of Iran for hosting this International Conference as well as the excellent arrangements and the warm hospitality extended to the participants in this respect.