BUENOS AIRES, Mar 19 (Tierramérica) - Non-governmental organizations have called for more effective action to halt desertification in Latin America.

That was the main result of the 5th session of the application exam committee of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, held Mar. 12-21 in Buenos Aires with representatives from some 170 countries.

The Latin American governments have made "great efforts" towards progress, said Patricia Maldonado, representative in Argentina of the International Network of NGOs on Desertification.

But 10 years since the Convention entered into force, government reports show that actions have proved "insufficient", she told Tierramérica.

"We must review the strategies for intervention, allow greater participation by the affected communities, and decentralize national policies," recommends Maldonado, who heads the Llastay Environmental Association in Argentina.

MEXICO CITY, Mar 19 (Tierramérica) - An environmental clean-up project that since 2006 has been implemented at Mexico's Environment Ministry building could be applied to all of the government's environment offices beginning in May.

Vanesa Alfaro, spokeswoman for the privately-run Alfa Sol Group, in charge of sanitation for the Environment Ministry, explained to Tierramérica that the company uses non-acid, quickly degrading substances to clean the toilets, avoiding aggressive chemicals.

The initiative comes from the North American Environmental Cooperation Commission, promoted among the three partners: Canada, Mexico and United States.

"Green" cleaning is more expensive than traditional approaches, but if it becomes widespread through examples like this one, it would create a bigger market and bring down prices, say its promoters.

RIO DE JANEIRO, Mar 19 (Tierramérica) - The Network of Forest Peoples set up antennas and equipment to connect eight isolated Brazilian communities and 30 offices to the Internet with the aim of making them agents of environmental defense.

The network won a commitment from the government to extend connectivity to another 150 indigenous, Afro-Brazilian and river communities in the Brazilian interior.

Set up in 2003, the Network only accepts communities approved in an evaluation during a seminar in which they prove "clear and strong cultural identity", Joao Augusto Fortes, a co-promoter of the endeavor, told Tierramérica.

Once connected, these communities receive training and then can quickly report land invasions, deforestation and other crimes against them and the environment. They also can disseminate their culture, develop eco-tourism and export their "sustainable products", said Fortes.