Highlights and images for 2 December 2024

Following a welcoming cultural performance, the 16th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP 16) of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) opened on Monday, 2 December.

COP 15 President Alain-Richard Donwahi, Côte d’Ivoire, stated that COP 15 made significant progress in addressing land degradation, focusing on innovation, financing, and the involvement of local communities, women, and youth. He reiterated the call of African Ministers for the establishment of a legally-binding protocol on drought under the UNCCD.

Want to dig deeper into today's talks? Read the full Earth Negotiations Bulletin daily report.

COP 16 then elected Abdulrahman Abdulmohsen AlFadley, Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture, Saudi Arabia, as President. In his opening address, COP 16 President AlFadley highlighted Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 as well as the Saudi Green Initiative, which aims to rehabilitate 40 million hectares of degraded land by 2030.

Faisal bin Abdulaziz bin Ayyaf, Mayor of the Riyadh Region, emphasized the role of local governments in complementing strategies and policies developed at the national level.

Amina J. Mohammed, UN Deputy Secretary-General, via video, urged COP 16 to prioritize: strengthening international cooperation on reversing land degradation and boosting rehabilitation of degraded lands; ramping up restoration efforts; and prioritizing financial investment to fight drought and desertification.

Ibrahim Thiaw, UNCCD Executive Secretary, reminded participants that land degradation and drought affect all life on earth, threatening food and energy security, forcing migration, and obstructing trade. He expressed hope that this meeting will be remembered as the COP that adopts the most important decisions for addressing drought.

Oyun-Erdene Luvsannamsrai, Prime Minister of Mongolia, expressed gratitude that the UN General Assembly declared 2026 as the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists, and welcomed delegates to COP 17 in Mongolia in 2026.

Johan Rockström, Director, Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, presented the Special Report on Land, underlining the links between land, resilience, and planetary health. He emphasized the importance of decarbonizing energy systems while also improving sustainable stewardship of land to limit global temperature rise.

Osama Ibrahim Faqeeha, Deputy Minister of Environment, Saudi Arabia, announced the Riyadh Global Drought Resilience Partnership, to be supported by USD 150 million from Saudi Arabia.

In the afternoon, the COP adopted its agenda and programme of work, among other organizational matters.

The Committee of the Whole (COW) established two contact groups: one on the budget and one on other matters. The Secretariat presented the budgetary reports and responded to questions. They then addressed the final report of the Intergovernmental Working Group on Drought, which contains seven policy options for managing drought under the UNCCD.

A High-level Ministerial Dialogue convened in the afternoon on the theme "From Geneva to Riyadh and beyond: Enhancing global and national policy instruments for a proactive drought management approach.”

The two COW contact groups held their first meetings in the evening.