February 13, 2025

COP 16

Current Context : The sixteenth session of the Conference of the Parties (COP16) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) took place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from December 2 to 13, 2024.

  • Theme:“Our Land. Our Future.”
  • Marks the 30th anniversary of UNCCD and the first COP in the MENA region.

Participation:

  • Attended by representatives of 197 parties(196 countries + European Union).
  • Over 20,000 participants, including 3,500 civil society members.

Goals:

  • Accelerating land restoration and drought resilience
  • Addressing the impacts of desertification, land degradation, and drought (DLDD)on livelihoods and ecosystems.

Major Outcomes:

  • Launch of the Riyadh Global Drought Resilience Partnership, with $12 billion in pledges for combating drought.
  • Discussions on financing land restoration initiatives.
  • Negotiations on the Drought Protocol deferred to COP17 (2026, Mongolia).

About UNCCD (United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification):

  • Established: 1994, under the UN framework.
  • Objective: To combat desertification and mitigate the effects of drought, particularly in Africa.
  • Parties: 197 (196 countries + European Union).
  • Headquarter : Bonn, Germany

Structure:

  • Conference of the Parties (COP): The decision-making body.
  • Committee on Science and Technology (CST): Provides technical advice.
  • Global Mechanism (GM): Mobilizes financial resources for land restoration.

Notable Initiatives:

  • The Great Green Wall: Aimed at restoring Africa’s degraded landscapes.
  • Drought Resilience Initiatives: Focus on drought-prone regions globally.

Relevance to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):

  • Directly linked to SDG 15(Life on Land), specifically Target 15.3 (achieving land degradation neutrality).
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