FAO at the UN Convention to Combat Desertification Conference (UNCCD COP15)
Riyadh (Saudi Arabia), Hybrid Event, 02/12/2024 - 13/12/2024
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 2-13 December 2024
The sixteenth session of the Conference of the Parties (COP16) of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) to take place from 2-13 December 2024 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, will focus on “Our Land. Our Future” as it celebrates its 30th anniversary. This celebration will be the largest UN land conference to date, and the first UNCCD COP held in the Middle East and North Africa region, which knows first-hand the impacts of desertification, land degradation and drought.
Countries at COP16 will gather to renew their global commitment to accelerate investment and action to restore land and boost drought resilience for the benefit of people and planet.
The aim of this year’s global conference is to review the progress made since UNCCD COP15, to control and reverse further loss of productive agricultural land from desertification, land degradation and drought, which are growing threats to peace and security. It will also look at emerging issues such as agrifood system solutions, focusing on restoration of degraded agricultural lands and how to achieve healthy and productive grasslands and rangelands.
According to the UNCCD Global Land Outlook 2022, humans have already transformed more than 70 percent of the Earth’s land area from its natural state, causing unparalleled environmental degradation and contributing significantly to global warming. FAO estimates that 1,660 million ha of land is degraded due to human impacts (human-induced land degradation). Over 60 percent of this degradation is taking place on agricultural lands, comprising cropland and pastureland. Therefore, the agrifood systems are under unprecedented pressure. Restoration of degraded agricultural land needs urgent political leadership, massive investments, and concerted actions. Without the restoration of agricultural land, the achievement of global targets of land degradation neutrality (LDN) and zero hunger are not possible.
FAO will organize, co-lead high-level events and side events, and will participate in a series of sessions and roundtables, as listed below. Come and visit us at our Pavilions located in the Green and Blue Zones to learn more about FAO's work!
Join us at the UNCCD COP16 and contribute to strengthening our joint efforts to highlight the urgency of restoring degraded agricultural lands to achieve!
4 December 2024 - Land Day
10.00-11.30
ACTION AGENDA - Resilience of mountain ecosystems in dryland areas and beyond
Location: Blue zone
13.00-14.30
Side event - Strengthening soil health and climate resilience: sustainable forest and land managemnet in sub- saharan Africa and west Asia
Location: MET-06
16.15-17.45
Advancing the NEXUS Approach for Future Sustainability in GCC Countries
Location: League of Arab States Pavilion
5 December 2024 - Food Systems Day
8:00-9:00
ACTION AGENDA - Wrapping up a COP year
Location: MET-33 Action Dome
9:00-10:30
ACTION AGENDA - High-level breakfast dialogue - NENA Regional Investment Framework for Integrated Ecosystem Restoration and Development Solutions initiative
Location: MET-25
10:30-11:30
ACTION AGENDA - World Soil Day High-level Celebration
Location: MET-33 - Action Dome
11:00-12.30
Side event - FAO Sustaining food and nutrition security in dryland landscapes in the context of agriculture and forest linkages
Location: MET-02
13:00- 14:30
Side event - Agrifood Systems Transformation: Experiences of the Sustainable Rural Agriculture Development Programme of Saudi Arabia
Location: MET-02 - Blue Zone
13:00- 15:00
ACTION AGENDA - High-level interactive dialogue on sustainable, resilient and inclusive agrifood systems
Location: MET-33 - Action Dome
14:00-15.30
Side event - Pastoralist Communities and Indigenous Peoples are custodians of Land and Territories. Women: Solution for Resilient Rangelands”
Location: Blue Zone
15:00-16:00
Side event - Global Soil Act
Location: Blue Zone
15:00-16:30
Side event - Potential of Dryland silvopastoral systems for global decarbonization action
Location: Food and Agriculture Pavilion (CGIAR)
15:15-17:30
ACTION AGENDA - VACS Announcement and VACS in action
Location: MET-33 - Action Dome
16:00-17:00
Side event - Launch Global Platform on Dryland Agriculture innovative technologies"
Location: Blue Zone
17:30-19:00
ACTION AGENDA - Investing in Sustainable Agrifood Systems Transformation: The GEF Food Systems Integrated Program (FSIP) Launch
Location: MET-33 - Action Dome
19:00-20:00
FAO Reception: The GEF Food Systems Integrated Program (FSIP)
Location: FAO Pavilion
6 December 2024 - Governance Day
09:00 -10:00
Side event - Indigenous Peoples’ Biocentric Restoration contributions to combat desertification under the three Rio Conventions and the works of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration to enhance resilience and ensure biodiversity
Location: MET-01
11:00-12:30
Side event - Integrated Land Use Planning, Implementation and Monitoring for Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN)
Location: MET-04
13:00-15:00
ACTION AGENDA - Women’s land rights for effective restoration efforts: Understanding synergies, taking action
Location: MET-24-25
15:30- 17:00
Side event - National Sand Encroachment Monitoring Network for KSA: Collaboration of FAO-KSA and US National Wind Erosion Research Network in the design, testing, and establishment of a national sand encroachment monitoring network for KSA
Location: MET-06
15:30- 17:30
ACTION AGENDA - Tenure security as an enabler of land restoration and sustainable agrifood systems: the role of land policy
Location: Action Dome
15:30- 17:30
ACTION AGENDA - Governance in Drylands: A Vision for a Just Land Transition
Location: Blue Zone
18:00- 20:00
ACTION AGENDA - Towards integrating land tenure into UNCCDs monitoring to effectively combatting desertification, land degradation and drought
Location: MET-25
18:00-20:00
ACTION AGENDA - Shared lands, shared futures. Inclusive Governance for Rangelands and Pastoralists
Location: Action Dome
18:00-20:00
ACTION AGENDA - How Integrated Land Use Planning (ILUP) contributes to LDN, food and tenure security and multiple environmental goals – Country examples and an overview of the progress since COP15
Location: MET-24
7 December 2024
9.00-10.30
Side event - FAO, WOCAT and NCVC in Launch of SLM Framework and Platform for Saudi Arabia
Location: MET-07
10.15-11:30
Side event - Investment For Planet and People: The Business Case for an Integrated Approach to Ecosystem Restoration and Development Solutions in the Near East and North Africa region
Location: LAS Pavilion
14.00-15.30
Side event - Mobility Matters: In the Footsteps of Pastoralists
Location: TBC
16.30-18.00
Gender Caucus Technical Session - Women-led solutions for drought resilience and adaptation: key findings, and conversation with selected country-based women champions
Location: Blue Zone
18.00-19.30
Side event - Integrating gender equality and social inclusion in drought management
Location: MET-03
9 December 2024
9:00-10:30
Side event - Mechanical Barrier for Sand fixation: case study of using dry palm leaves in the KSA (formal presentation session)
Location: FAO Pavilion - Green Zone
9.00-10:30
Side event - Strengthening Regional Cooperation to achieve LDN in Transboundary Basins in Central America
Location: MET-7
18:00: 19.30
Side event - Leveraging Space Information and Earth Intelligence
Location: Green Zone
10 December 2024
9:00-10.30
Side event - The Role of NGOs in Restoring and Reduce Land Degradation: practices and experiences in Arab Countries
Location: MET-06
15:30-17:00
Side event - Integrated planning and effective institutional coordination for drought management
Location: TBD
18:00-19.30
UN Coalition to Combat Sand and Dust Storms: Resilient Actions and Commitments for Combating SDS
Location: MET-08
12 December 2024
9:00-10:30
Technical Session - Regional Water Scarcity Initiative Programme: Enhancing Knowledge Across Sectors by Bridging the Data Gap
Location: CGIAR Pavilion