Highlights and images for 18 August 2026

As discussions on drought and the science and technology agenda heated up on Tuesday, an afternoon thunderstorm did little to mitigate the intensity of the day. The second day of the 17th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP 17) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) featured a full slate of formal and informal meetings, side events, and consultations.  

The Committee on Science and Technology (CST) held its first plenary session in the morning, continuing through the afternoon.  

The Russian Federation opposed including the work programme of the Science-Policy Interface (SPI) on the agenda, reiterating that “certain Parties” had “blocked” their experts from participating in the work of the Intergovernmental Working Group on the Future Strategic Framework, and opposed the participation of the Ukrainian expert on the SPI.  

Parties adopted the CST agenda except for the SPI work programme, pending further consultations. Discussions commenced on the agenda items on interfacing science, policy, and sharing knowledge, and the future functioning of the SPI.

Meanwhile, next door in the Committee for the Review of the Implementation of the Convention (CRIC), delegates discussed capacity-building in the morning and mobilizing financial resources in the afternoon.  

Following a morning panel discussion, Parties stressed the importance of capacity-building for the effective implementation of the Convention. Many called for a demand-driven approach that takes into account national priorities, and for adequate and predictable financial and technical resources. The Global Environment Facility and the Global Mechanism presented reports and engaged in a panel discussion on resource mobilization in the afternoon. 

Negotiations on drought continued in two contact group meetings, as delegations tried to move forward on a possible decision. The CST and CRIC contact groups held their first meetings in the evening. The budget contact group met throughout the day.  

Informally, delegates, the COP Bureau, and members of the Gender, Youth, Indigenous Peoples, and Local Communities caucuses considered their options and the way forward for adopting the rest of the COP 17 agenda, after the Russian Federation and the US objected on Monday to agenda items on the post-2030 Strategic Framework, gender, civil society, and synergies. 

Around the venue, as participants dodged the afternoon rain, the hardy were able to experience traditional Mongolian music, watch Mongolian crafts people at work, marvel at the artwork and sculptures, and grab a coffee as they walked between meetings and a wide range of side events.