We are pleased to announce that the British Society of Soil Science (BSSS) is standing for election as a Civil Society Organisation (CSO) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), with Executive Director, Andy Morris, as the official candidate representing the Society.
Out of 43 candidates, we are delighted that BSSS has been shortlisted to the final 4 of the Western Europe region. The voting period is now open from 28 February to 14 March where accredited associations can choose their preferred candidate.
The UNCCD secretariat received 43 candidatures for the representation at the different positions which was nearly 3 times more than the previous period, so we are very pleased to have got to the final phase of election.
Andy Morris, Executive Director of the British Society of Soil Science (UK)
Civil society organisations (CSOs) play a key role in development as they help provide a picture of on-the-ground realities in different parts of the world. NGOs and CSOs are collaborating with United Nation’s conventions, programmes and agencies to ascertain how and where to make an impact.
BSSS has partnered with UN agencies in the past and are keen to make an impact globally. We have attended the COP climate summit under our official non-governmental organisation (NGO) observer status for the last four years and last year at COP29, we were delighted to host a side event on ‘Invest in Soil Health – fostering the future of climate change mitigation and adaptation‘. We welcomed speakers from Africa, South America, India and Europe for a diverse panel discussion around soil health, regenerative and innovative approaches, and how to leverage finance to achieve a just transition whilst championing collaboration for COP29.
In addition, we were pleased to attend the sixteenth session of the Conference of the Parties (COP16) of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia last December. We hosted another side event which explored effective soil use and management to promote resilience and adaptation in the context of expanding land degradation, rising global temperatures, extreme weather events and large biodiversity loss.
“Whilst the discussions at both conferences cover the whole spectrum of sectors, it is reassuring to see the more prominent positioning agriculture and food security in the global climate agenda. Through discussions, partnerships and initiatives, we are continuing to highlight the importance of soil in mitigating climate change and will continue to reinforce this message at future conventions. It is essential that we unite voices across the sector and facilitate these positive discussions which will lead to greater action and support. This is essential in securing the future sustainability of the planet and our food source.”
Andy Morris, BSSS Executive Director
CSOs play a significant role at the UNCCD Conference of the Parties (COP). UNCCD currently has more than 600 organisations accredited with observer status. The accredited organisations, through their participation in key activities and events, provide valuable contributions to the work of the convention. The UNCCD CSO panel, created by the Conference of the Parties, aims to facilitate coordination, communication and collaboration among the accredited organisations. Representatives that are accredited to the COP may directly participate in the UNCCD secretariat’s sessions. At these sessions, organisations are consulted on United Nation’s policy and programme matters. They also play key roles at major United Nations conferences as indispensable partners for efforts at the country level.
This is fantastic opportunity for the Society and whilst we are already delighted to have been shortlisted, we would be honoured to be elected for this position and share our voice with the UN community. BSSS is an established international membership organisation and want to ensure that we make an impact globally as well as in the UK.
The British Society of Soil Science (BSSS) is an established international membership organisation committed to the study of soil in its widest aspects. The society brings together those working within academia, practitioners implementing soil science in industry and all those working with, or with an interest in soils.
