At the Rio Earth Summit the question of how to tackle desertification as a major economic, social and environmental problem in all regions of the world, was a major concern. Therefore the Conference supported a new, integrated approach to the problem, emphasizing action to promote sustainable development at the community level. It also called on the United Nations General Assembly to establish an Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INCD) to prepare, by June 1994, a Convention to Combat Desertification, particularly in Africa.

  The Convention was adopted in Paris on 17 June 1994 and opened for signature there on 14-15 October 1994. It entered into force on 26 December 1996. As of March 2002, already 179 countries were parties to the Convention. The Convention entered into force in Bulgaria on 22 May 2001.