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The Saudi UNCCD presidency will formally transfer leadership responsibilities to Mongolia during the COP17 conference scheduled to take place from August 17 to 28 in Ulaanbaatar. This transition comes after a year marked by significant advancements in global efforts to combat desertification and drought. Officials indicated that the Kingdom’s term featured the launch of several major partnerships aimed at enhancing international cooperation on land restoration.
According to official details, the COP16 session hosted by Saudi Arabia in Riyadh in December 2024 drew participation from 197 parties, making it the largest in the convention’s history. The conference resulted in the adoption of 39 separate decisions while successfully mobilizing more than 12 billion dollars in funding to support affected regions. These outcomes have set a strong foundation for continued global action on drought resilience.
The Riyadh Global Drought Resilience Partnership stood out among the initiatives introduced during Saudi Arabia’s presidency, alongside the Riyadh Action Agenda that grew from an initial 35 commitments to more than 100 active programs. Saudi authorities also advanced the International Initiative for Early Warning for Sand and Dust Storms together with the Business4Land project focused on engaging the private sector. These efforts have drawn participation from a wide range of countries and organizations seeking to address land degradation challenges.
At the upcoming COP17 gathering, the Kingdom plans to operate a national pavilion within the Blue Zone that will host more than 40 side events showcasing its progress. A separate pavilion dedicated to the Middle East Green Initiative will further illustrate regional contributions to sustainability goals. Saudi representatives will additionally chair the final meeting of the COP Bureau prior to the official handover.
The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification serves as the sole legally binding international agreement linking environment and development to sustainable land management. UNCCD assessments have found that land degradation directly impacts the lives of more than 3.2 billion people worldwide while undermining efforts to achieve multiple sustainable development goals. Global estimates place the annual economic cost of desertification and drought at hundreds of billions of dollars according to UNCCD data.
Mongolia will assume the presidency at a critical time when many regions face increasing threats from climate-induced drought and soil erosion. The Asian nation has prepared extensive plans for COP17 that build upon the momentum generated in Riyadh. Saudi officials expressed their commitment to ongoing collaboration with all parties to further the convention’s core objectives.
