The decisions taken by the Parties of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) encourage countries to integrate the principles and practices contained in the Voluntary Guidelines on the Governance of Tenure of Lands, Fisheries and Forest in the context of national Food Security (VGGT) into the design and implementation of Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) and other land restoration initiatives. LDN and other land restoration initiatives are broadly defined as programmes, projects, or other organized and deliberate actions to avoid, reduce, and reverse land degradation at all scales.

UNCCD decision 27/COP.15 encourages Parties to:

… host inclusive and participatory national level dialogues on the implementation of decision 26/COP.14, building on all forms of available knowledge, including data generated by people in vulnerable and marginalized situations, including Indigenous peoples and local communities, those living in rural areas, women, youth, and persons with disabilities.

… explore ways to integrate land tenure information into their capacity development efforts and data analytic tools for evidence-based decision-making to support land degradation neutrality implementation through integrated land-use planning.

UNCCD decision 27/COP.15 invites the UNCCD secretariat to:

… provide, upon request, support to Parties in order to implement a land tenure strategy and action plan.
… develop specific guidance and exchange lessons learned, through national consultations in selected countries across regions, to assist Parties on the ways and means to integrate land tenure into land degradation neutrality, such as targets, plans, projects and programmes on desertification, land degradation and drought.

For more background on the relevant COP decisions and the work of the UNCCD-FAO joint initiative, please consult here the presentations and videos of the regional webinars held 15-17 May 2023.

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) within the implementation of the UNCCD and Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) is available here for download in all six UN languages.

Requests for support will only be considered if they include the PDF application form, duly filled out, with attachments as indicated and the participation of the UNCCD national focal point and their ministry in either a convening or supporting role. All submissions will be reviewed by the UNCCD-FAO and its technical partner organizations. Those countries selected to receive support are expected to be notified by September 2023 with national consultations to be held starting in late 2023. Subject to the availability of resources, support for national consultation will be jointly defined with the selected country.

Further details on the submission process are included in the PDF application form here.