Global Drylands: A UN system-wide response sets out for the first time a coherent strategy by the United Nations to address the special needs of drylands from the perspective of the environment and human settlements. 
Prepared by members of the UN Environment Management Group (EMG), the report responds to calls by governments for a UN system-wide response to land challenges. It sets out a common vision and agenda for UN-wide action on dryland management and its role in addressing climate change and food security through a positive development and investment approach. 
The important premise of this report is that drylands – in developing countries in particular – have tended to be de facto ‘investment deserts’, plagued by chronic underinvestment. With the Rio+20 summit around the corner, we must worth together to overcome the myth that practising environmental sustainability will always be at the expense of the economy.
Ongoing economic development provides the surest foundation for managing the economic consequences of environmental variability, taking advantage of new or emerging opportunities and adapting to the impacts of climate change. However, such development must be done sustainably and equitably in the context of a Green Economy. 
The technologies for such a transition are available, and so, the question arises of identifying and overcoming the constraints or barriers to the ‘re-capitalization’ of drylands in developing nations.
With its global reach and diverse range of activities and expertise, the UN system is uniquely positioned to catalyze this transition. I welcome the commitment by EMG members, as set out in this report, to demonstrate the benefits that a multi-sectoral approach can bring to the development and implementation of the international drylands agenda. Ultimately, this report shows that environmental sustainability and poverty reduction are intricately linked and must be approached holistically. 
Achim Steiner United Nations Under-Secretary-General Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme Chair of the Environment Management Group
As the 18 UN agencies that contributed to this report continue their engagement on land issues, we can look forward to an action plan and clear results-based objectives for the UN’s drylands initiatives as we unite to improve the well-being of drylands communities. 