FAO at the UN Convention to Combat Desertification Conference (UNCCD COP15)
Riyadh (Saudi Arabia), Hybrid Event, 02/12/2024 - 13/12/2024
Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, 9–20 May 2022
The fifteenth session of the Conference of the Parties (COP15) of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) took place from 9 to 20 May 2022 in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, and focused on “Land. Life. Legacy: From scarcity to prosperity”.
It was a call to action to ensure land, the lifeline on this planet, continues to benefit present and future generations.
The aim of the conference was to review progress made since UNCCD COP14, to control and reverse further loss of productive land from desertification, land degradation and drought, which are growing threats to food security, livelihoods and ecosystems.
FAO’s mission and UNCCD’s work closely align, particularly for ensuring food security and sustainable livelihoods through sustainable land management, restoration of degraded lands and improved soils, especially in drylands, and proactive action for drought preparedness.
FAO will organize, co-led high-level events and side events, and participate in a series of sessions and roundtables, as listed below.
Join us at UNCCD COP15 and contribute to strengthening joint efforts to address land degradation and support the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.
Monday 9 May 2022
High-level opening ceremony – Heads of State and Government Summit
Location: Plenary
Tuesday 10 May 2022
10:00–13:00 (GMT)
High-level opening ceremony – Interactive dialogue 2: Future-proofing land use: shifting patterns in production and consumption
Location: Plenary
15:00–18:00 (GMT)
High-level opening ceremony – Round Table 1: Rights, rewards and responsibilities: the future of land stewardship
Location: Plenary
Wednesday 11 May 2022 – Drought Day
09:30–17:15 (GMT)
Drought Day
Launch of FAO publications:
- A rapid review of drought risk mitigation measures – Integrated drought management
- A rapid review of effective financing for policy, implementation and partnerships addressing drought risks
Location: Rio Pavilion
10:00–13:00 (GMT)
Opening session COP15
Location: Plenary
13:00–15:00 (GMT)
High-level launch of the Technical Guide on the integration of the Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests in the Context of National Food Security (VGGT) into the implementation of the UNCCD and Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN)
Room number: MET-19
Partners: FAO/UNCCD
18:00–20:00 (GMT)
High-level launch of “The State of the World’s Land and Water Resources for Food and Agriculture (SOLAW 2021)” main report
The event will be held in English and French, and will be hybrid, with the opportunity to attend onside in Abidijan or virtually.
Room number: MET-12
Partners: FAO/UNCCD
Thursday 12 May 2022 – Food Day
09:00–17:30 (GMT)
Food Day
The Drylands Sustainable Landscapes Impact Program (DSL-IP) will be featured in the side event "My Land My Rights - Legitimate Tenure Rights for Food Security, Climate Resilience and Ecosystem Restoration" from 10:00 to 11:00 GMT.
Location: Rio Pavilion
Partners: World Wildlife Fund (WWF)/CGIAR/FAO/World Agroforestry Center for International Forestry Research (ICRAF-CIFOR)/Töpfer Müller Gaßner (TMG)/United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)/American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA)/UNCCD
13:00–14:30 (GMT)
High-level side event: From ecosystems to economies: the environmental, economic and social benefits of ecosystem restoration
This event will be hybrid with the opportunity to attend onside in Abidjan or virtually by registering.
Room number: MET-14
Partners: FAO/UNEP/UNCCD/Global Environment Facility (GEF)
18:00–20:00 (GMT)
Side event: Scaling out Turkey’s lessons learnt on combating land degradation: an overview of LDN in Europe and Central Asia
Room number: MET-12
Partners: Turkey/Europe and Central Asia (ECA)/Science for Resilient Livelihoods in Dry Areas (ICARDA)/World overview of Conservation Approaches and Technologies (WOCAT)/FAO/UNCCD
Friday 13 May 2022
08:00–10:00 (GMT)
Side event: Multi-stakeholder action for scaling soil health globally through evidence-based investment
Room number: MET-12
Partners: ICRAF/FAO
13:00–15:00 (GMT)
Side event: Against all odds. The winding path from multidimensional fragility to drought resilience in drylands
Launch of the FAO Publication "Presumed Dryland Assessment - Valuing, Restoring and Managing Presumed Drylands".
Room number: MET-11
Partners: FAO/German Development Institute (DIE)
13:00–15:00 (GMT)
Side event: Evidence-based decision making for Life on Land - Scenarios for Integrated Land Use Planning
Room number: MET-13
Partners: German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ)/WOCAT/UNCCD/Genetic Mechanisms (GM)/The Group on Earth Observations-Land Degradation Neutrality (GEO-LDN)/The Economics of Land Degradation (ELD)/FAO/the Science-Policy Interface (SIP)/World Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)
13:15–20:30 (GMT)
GEF Half-day
Room number: Rio Pavilion
Partners: Dryland Sustainable Landscapes Impact Programme (DSL-IP)/NFO/WeCaN/MEVCAM
Saturday 14 May 2022
09:00–20:00 (GMT)
Science Day
Location: Rio Pavilion
Monday 16 May 2022
08:00–18:00 (GMT)
Sand and Dust Storms Day
Location: Rio Pavilion
Partners: FAO/UNEP/UNCCD/GEF
13:00–15:00 (GMT)
Side event: Securing Land Tenure Rights to Achieve Land Degradation Neutrality, Land-based Adaptation and Responses to Drought
Room number: MET-12
Partners: TMG/Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)/GIZ/FAO/Different Ministries
08:00–09:30 (GMT)
Open discussion on Gender in COP15 Decisions "Knowledge sharing, promising practices and local solutions"
Location: MET-12
Tuesday 17 May 2022
17:45–19:15 (GMT)
Side Event: Tools supporting LDN reporting, target setting and monitoring. Experiences from Ecuador, Turkey, Nicaragua and Kazakhstan in co-developing and applying FAO-WOCAT tools at national level for LDN"
Location: Rio Pavilion
Partners: Ecuador/Turkey/WOCAT/FAO/UNCCD
Wednesday 18 May 2022
09:00–19:15 (GMT)
Great Green Wall Day
Location: Rio Pavilion
Partners: DSL-IP/WeCaN/MEVCAM