hirteen West Asian and North African countries (Algeria, Egypt, Iran, Jordan, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Palestinian Authority, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, and Yemen), represented by ministerial delegations, and representatives of donor agencies and regional and international organizations, met in Rabat, Morocco on 25-26 June 2001, to consider challenges critical to development of drylands in the region: to reduce rural poverty, arrest natural resource degradation, accelerate economic growth, diversify economic opportunities, and enhance food security. These challenges are exacerbated by lack of water resources, drought, high population growth, and low investment. The participants issued the following declaration:
     As further expansion of irrigated areas is limited, we believe that it is crucial to optimize the use of scarce land and water resources for improving the quality of life of the people through increasing the productivity, profitability and sustainability of the overall natural resource use of the countries, including both irrigated and rainfed areas.
     We agree to forge a partnership that will focus on the overall sustainable development of drylands in WANA. We emphasize our long-term commitment to reducing poverty, arresting desertification, enhancing socioeconomic growth and diversifying economic opportunities in these areas, as well as to supporting the implementation of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification. To realize these goals, we agree to give higher priority to resource allocation to rainfed areas.
     In particular, we emphasize the need to: (a) develop appropriate policies and implement integrated drought management strategies; (b) develop and implement a regional approach to drought preparedness; (c) provide appropriate incentives and safety nets that encourage rural communities to undertake environmentally friendly land-use practices to combat desertification and natural resource degradation and consequently adopt improved national policies and strategies to that end; (d) strengthen institutional arrangements and mechanisms for more effective participation of the local communities and civil society in defining the priorities for investment; (e) identify investment opportunities for both the private and public sectors to improve the social and economic infrastructure necessary for dryland development; and (f) examine the potential for all projects aiming at mitigating climate change.
     We endorse the development of a program for the drylands of WANA which will build a foundation for regional cooperation; promote technical collaboration; share local and global information and knowledge; strengthen national capacities to facilitate the design and implementation of national policy and institutional improvements as well as investment programs. It will also support the implementation of the UN Conventions such as the Convention to Combat Desertification and promote synergies between the UNCCC, UNCBD and UNCCD.
     We, all the participants of the Ministerial meeting on "Opportunities for Sustainable Investment in Rainfed Areas in West Asia and North Africa (WANA)," express our deepest gratitude to His Majesty the King Mohammed VI of Morocco for his patronage, support and sincere interest in supporting improvement of the well-being of the vast number of people depending on the natural resource base in the drylands. We are also grateful to the Government and the People of the Kingdom of Morocco for their hospitality and support, and for making this meeting a success.