At its 58th session, the UN General Assembly declared 2006 the International Year of Deserts and Desertification (IYDD). In doing so, the General Assembly underlined its deep concern for the exacerbation of desertification and noted its far-reaching implications for the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals (MDG's) which must be met by 2015. The IYDD is an opportunity to strengthen the visibility of the desertification issues on the international environmental agenda, while providing a timely reminder to the international community of the immense challenges that still lie ahead. More info at: www.iydd.org In this context, UNU worked with partner UN and international agencies to jointly organize an international conference focused on the international policy imperatives raised by droughts and desertification and how best to meet the challenges. This conference interlinked with and build upon other meetings and conferences held to celebrate the IYDD, and was hosted by the Algerian Government.