EMG High-Level Round Table: Strengthening Action for Change: Promoting Coherence and Synergies for Sustainable Land Management

UN agencies and country representatives have been holding frank discussions on how the UN system can promote synergies among the three Rio Conventions on climate, biodiversity and desertification. Following on similar events at the recent COPs of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), this event highlighted the importance of country-level coordination for coherent implementation of commitments under these conventions, as well as other multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs), such as those addressing pollution and wetland conservation. Participants during this event highlighted the importance of looking to women, children and youth, and Indigenous Peoples and local communities, not only as people to be helped, but also as partners in guiding implementation.

Event moderator Susan Gardner, Director, Ecosystems Division, UN Environment Programme (UNEP), explained the event would discuss how the Environmental Management Group (EMG) can support actions under “the Rio Trio” of the climate, biodiversity and desertification conventions. Inger Andersen, UNEP Executive Director and EMG Chair, warned that, by 2050, drought could affect three-quarters of the world’s population. She welcomed the particular lens and “mandate ramp” of each UN entity to address this challenge.

Ibrahim Thiaw, UNCCD Executive Secretary, welcomed the launch of the Riyadh Global Drought Resilience Partnership by Saudi Arabia, as host of COP 16. He noted that Saudi Arabia, with others, have pledged USD 2.15 billion to the new partnership, and that the Arab Coordination Group has pledged another USD 10 billion by 2030. In addition to the drought challenge, he noted that the world may need to produce twice as much food by 2050, and that land productivity therefore must increase.

His Highness Prince Moteb bin Fahad bin Faisal Al Saud of the Saudi Royal Family highlighted the positive impacts of establishing Royal Reserve areas, citing the increase in vegetation and the return of birdlife, in particular.

In two panel sessions, participants from UN entities discussed how the UN can more effectively promote collective action to address the interconnected challenges of land degradation, climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution, and what role the EMG could play in these efforts.

During the first panel, speakers called for: a holistic perspective on sustainable land management, including issues of soil biodiversity and crop biodiversity for food security; identifying “systemic levers of change,” such as action to develop more sustainable supply chains and tackle corruption; transforming agri-food systems; and adopting nature-based solutions (NBS) as a unifying pathway that can promote synergies and incorporate both scientific and traditional knowledge. Speakers also proposed undertaking integrated projects as a way to bring together implementation of the Rio Conventions, aligning funding through common financial mechanisms such as the Global Environment Facility (GEF), and addressing resilience and peacebuilding in fragile contexts.

Rania Sharshr, Climate Action Director, International Organization for Migration (IOM), reminded everyone to be guided by the needs of a hypothetical, suffering woman displaced by drought, who needs the UN to come together “as one hand and one voice.”

Mohamed Elzarkani, UN Resident Coordinator in Saudi Arabia, urged UN agencies to consult with UN country teams to maximize impacts.

Others proposed providing a platform for countries to understand that “landscape restoration is not just about planting trees,” but also about using existing structures for action and mapping UN agencies’ activities to identify redundancies as well as gaps.

In the second panel, participants proposed: focusing on single issues to catalyze partnerships and joint action; working more closely with local communities and women as critical agents of change; and undertaking joint programming at the country level. They highlighted the value of adopting unifying themes, mentioning, as examples, the right to a healthy environment, green jobs for youth, and the connection of “the three F’s” of food, feed and fiber to land degradation.

Hossein Fadaei, Head of EMG Secretariat, summarized participants’ views, noting that land is a connector across different planetary challenges, and can be a priority for action in countries’ own plans and strategies. He also noted colleagues’ suggestions to focus on issues concerning women, children, and youth, as well as looking to these groups for solutions. He recognized the importance placed on engaging with Indigenous Peoples and local communities, and with those affected or displaced by natural disasters. He further noted the emphasis on human rights and accountability, and the importance of achieving local impacts. He cautioned that joint programming is not new and has its own challenges; nevertheless, he welcomed the possibility of integrating action through country strategies for implementation of the Rio Conventions, mentioning National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAP) and National Adaptation Plans (NAPs), in particular.

Organizer: UN Environment Management Group
Contact: EMG Secretariat | emg@un.org
Website: https://unemg.org