The NCCD is mandated by the government to supervise, monitor, report and
evaluate the implementation of the National Program for Combating Desertification

The Committee should have 12 representatives from different ministries and organizations (Ministry of Nature and Environment, Ministry of Food and Agriculture, Land Management Agency, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Fuel and Energy, Meteorological Institute under Ministry of Nature and Environment, Academy of Sciences (namely the Geo-Ecological Institute and the Institute of Botany) as well as representatives from environmental NGOs. The Chairman of the Committee is the Minister of Environment and Nature (MNE). Ensuring day-to-day operations a secretariat office was set up, to which at present one person from the MNE is assigned.

The Committee is responsible for networking with international organizations and reporting on progress and challenges of implementation of Rio Convention on Combating Desertification. Shortages of human and financial resources, skills and knowledge limit the activities of the committee.

As a consequence the NCCD is not functioning adequately. Projects and activities on combating desertification are not coordinated and reports on desertification are often guess work. However, the NCCD tries to maintain its role within the international network.